Spartica and the Raiderblades
by Seripa
Summary: spartica is a girl with a past long forgotten now, all she wants is get on with life,thats if her grandfather hadn't asked her to look after the four new girls..kaioc,tysonoc,maxoc,leeoc kennyoc sharkyrick,talatamsin no flames please ON HIATUS
1. Blood Hunt Bane

**Spartica and the Raiderblades**

Ok this was written by my very good friend KizmetHawk and I am publishing it for her....it's really good so read it. Everything after this little message was written by her.

Disclaimer: Ok, I'm the author of this, my imagination and ideas, but thanks go to Seripa who made this possible. I do not own Beyblade! I never have and never will, all praise and worship go to those who do, bows down.

Can I just say that if this is not your 'cup of tea', do not complain to me after reading it (we did warn you in the summary), I mean how can I put this more bluntly, it's your own fault for reading it in the first place, and to put my side (never going to happen) story up is not a crime, it's just me offering you a piece of my imagination. Sorry I know it's harsh, but sometimes you have to see it in the other person's view and think logically. Of course suggestions and complaints about grammar and spelling, etc are welcome, or if you think I'm going to slow or fast, or whatever. Ok, now I've put down my thought trail, let me get on with the story. Thanks.

**Chapter 1 - Blood Hunt Bane**

**Six years ago**

There was only one way to describe Spartica's situation, or maybe two – falling and spinning. Both at the same time. She felt like she was Teelie, spinning around while dropping down to a beydish, which surface she never reached. In the background, the crowing cry of triumph had died off and in its place was left a never-ending darkness. She curled up tight and shut the suffocating blackness out from her world, at least she tried to, but she did not feel like she was human anymore, nor bird – she was everything and she was nothing; she was invincible, but unable to comprehend, nor fight her invisible enemy; she was the dark, yet she rejected everything it was made of. How could everything feel so possible, but so far away?

In her present mind she felt herself clawing for her freedom, to search for something, anything, which would give her a foot hold to hold onto. That was when she heard it; the whisper.

'Spartica'

The voice was warm and gentle, a delicate nudge in the right direction, she felt the soft sound turn into a gentle breeze, and she let it guide her to its destination. Was this death?

She hoped not.

The breeze grew more powerful with every second she stayed within its current, and soon it was no longer gentle, but harsh and biting, the cold nibbling cruelly at her nose and fingers.

Her fingers? She was whole again? Human? Then just as soon as she became relieved, she suddenly wished she were not human at all. The merciless gale buffeted and lashed at her, even through her bear hide coat and boots - she did not remember how she had gotten into such clothes, only knew that they were there. She risked a peek through her eyelashes, and saw before her, none other than her old front driveway being caught up within a giant snowstorm.

She knew this to be her driveway; from the rock she was clinging helplessly to – which in fact was not a rock at all, but a statue of a giant ice drake. She curled up into the tail, and tried to take shelter under the hollow that the dragon made with its arching body. Looking out she could see nothing. Not one thing, other than the snow whipping around in small currents and a small dark silhouette striding towards her.

The angel, her angel, coming to save her at last. The woman had dark blue hair and deep green eyes, which twinkled and sparkled as she strode on, as if the wind was nothing, but a rice paper wall. As the woman came closer and stretched out her arms towards the cowering girl, she noticed that the woman was saying something to her; it was firm, but calm as it called.

'Spartica'

The woman reached down and plucked the small girl from her hiding place, before carrying her in a princess hold, and walking back the way she had come. The woman was warm and strong, and Spartica no longer felt the biting, blinding wind, but a sense of peace.

Although, even though she was now in a safe refuge, the woman kept on speaking. Her voice sounded of autumn leaves and a whistling wind, as she spoke.

'Spartica'

And as Spartica opened her mouth to say that she was there, something else happened.

The world dissolved around her, and in place of a reply, she screamed – although she had no idea why, maybe it was the two bodies of her murdered parents as they lay on the floor, or the face of the man she wished she could never see again. Or perhaps it was a scream or such horror and rage that made her feel nothing, but pure hate.

Spartica felt nothing but the fury that threatened to overflow her as she screamed, as she grabbed the sharp beyblade from her small belt pouch and ran into the corridor.

Instead of coming into a hallway, however she came face to face with a young red haired girl, her best friend, Tamsin. This girl too called to her, her name, but this time, much more firmly then the woman.

'Spartica?'

As she ran pass the smaller girl, she saw the visions of the blood only she could see.

Of a white scarf.

Four blue shark-fin tattoos.

Lastly two bright ice blue eyes.

Slowly the visions vanished and she was calm, and the voice called her attention once again. It was stern, but kindly, and she loved him. Her grandfather.

'Spartica!'

'Hey love, you alright?' A soft Russian accented his voice.

'What was that?' Asked the ten year old, clearly trembling.

'The void.' His voice was drained of emotion.

'Grandfather?'

'Yes, my little Sparrow?'

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.'

'I know child. Hush, sleep now.'

And as she closed her eyes, she found her peace with the world at last, and rested.

The man watched his only surviving relative fall back to sleep, well not only - but that other one was not exactly a relation by blood now, were they? _At least, _he thought as he overlooked her, _her__ blood hunt is finally over._

He sighed and rocked back on the heels of the chair.

Doctor Haughton, inventor extraordinaire, sat there, at the Imvie Close Hospital, for the rest of the night.


	2. Unexpected Guests and News

**Thank you for the review Darkest illusions and heres the update!**

**Disclaimer: Praise be to the wondrous ones who created Beyblade for i will eternally worship them because unfortunately it was not me and i do not own beybladesigh **

**One day, one day when i rule the world hee hee hee. IT WILL BE MINE**

**A/n: the dude with shark fin tattooes in the last chapter wasn't Kai( hmmmmm...drooling)**

**Chapter 2 - Unexpected Guests and News**

**Present Day**

Spartica was not sure what had woken her up, but she was pretty sure that it was something that needed her attention. That was the way of those who are typically aware of their surroundings, although, Spartica Haughton always seemed to make a point of looking completely aloof.

Dr. Haughton often exclaimed that she had 'eyes at the back of her head' and 'the ears of an elf'. In all honesty, it might have had something to do with Spartica's network of connections throughout the beyblading world. Or just that she was an extremely good actor.

Carefully sneaking down the wide staircase the mansion, Spartica mentally scolded herself for being so silly, as having to creep about in her own home.

The door to the living room was ajar, and inside she could see the small flickering shadows of a lit fire. She frowned; did she have guests? At this hour? She did not remember any such late time meetings, but then…it could only be…

A smile suddenly adorning her normally emotionless face, she pranced towards the door, and flung it open, to look upon the face of…

'Grandfather! Oh Grandfather what are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you but…' Spartica gabbled happily, but soon turned embarrassed at having done so.

Dr. Haughton's face was a mask of seriousness as he exclaimed, 'Less youthful enthusiasm if you please, young lady, I'm an old man and cannot dance around and do the hula as I once used to.'

Spartica searched his face, and found the teasing twinkle and barely controlled smile that threatened to increase at any moment, which she had been expecting. Playing along she tried to tease him back, 'And did you used to dance around and do the hula sir?' She asked in mock formality.

He spluttered on a small sip of brandy as he sat up straighter in his chair. 'I most certainly did not…' He seemed to consider this for a moment, before deciding to turn this little hula confession time to his advantage.

Smiling in a thoughtful demeanour, her gently sat back and placed his hands on the chair arms as he said, 'Mind you there was a time, when old Galdim and me…'

'No please anything, but the stories! And anyway, it's Galdim and I.' Spartica broke into a small smile, one she saved just for the ones she loved, and sat down in the cushioned chair opposite her Grandfather's, placed conveniently either side of a chess board.

The smile on her Grandfather's face reached past his eyes and into his fast receding hairline, where his eyebrows were trying to pose instead. 'Alright we'll call that battle of words a draw, but maybe we can find the winner through a game of logic instead'. He gestured at the chessboard before searching his Granddaughter's face for acceptance of the challenge.

Only one of Spartica's dark eyebrows lifted at this. Her grandfather was a master of chess, and had won many competitions, she was a good player, but not that good – there was only one way this could end. Him winning, her losing.

Doctor Haughton was in his early seventies, he had completely white hair, or at least what was left of it – it encircled his head, rather like a halo. He was a lean, but was obviously strong in his youth, now he looked to his walking stick to help him win any tussles he might get into, which, with Cosmo, a cynically sarcastic, but otherwise very wise dog bitbeast that stayed by his side loyally – and annoyingly most of the time, not that Ponti Haughton (a.k.a Dr. Haughton) would ever admit to it.

He now studied his Granddaughter with kindly, brown eyes; Spartica was of an average height for her age, she was not stick thin, but was of a perfect weight for a teenager of sixteen, and slightly toned but only because of her strict regime and training programme that she managed to keep up. Her long black hair was swept back from tired green eyes, which now looked up at him in a look of a person who had already accepted defeat, but seemed used to it.

'Why the look?' He asked her, although he already knew why, and she answered back in same.

'You know why.' She answered, a small smile twitching at the side of her mouth, but that did not quite reach her emerald eyes.

He sighed and once again sat back in his chair, he closed his eyes and began to think, chewing his lip as he tried to think of the right words to reply with.

'Then why do you still play, if you know that I will beat you?'

'Because I will play, in an attempt to show that I am not afraid to face your challenge and lose.' She said, her body resigned, but her face void of emotion.

'A noble act – good in theory, but not in practice.'

She raised the eyebrow again.

He sighed and tried again, his granddaughter listened well, but she thought him a little nutty at time, he knew. 'The wise old nut', as Cosmo would say.

'You see, Spartica, no matter how many times you face me in a game of chase, I will always beat you, until you realise that you _can _win.'

She frowned, no the message was definitely not understood.

He tried again. 'You see the world is made up of possibilities, even the chance of being born with your exact mind, is that of a lottery. When you blade, you know you have flaws and weaknesses just like everyone else, but it is only that yours are harder to find, or are less. I have a greater chance of winning this game of chess against you, only because I am the better chess player, but it does not mean that you do not have a chance of winning. Yes, it may be a small chance, but it is still something, it is…possible.' He did not know how else to put it.

Spartica tried a response, but could only come up with, 'meaning?'

'Meaning if you enter this game, with a knowledge that the outcome would only be that of me as the victor, then you have already lost. Therefore the game would be pointless, and a waste of both my time and yours, because you will then learn nothing. However, if you believe that every time you play me, you become that much better, then your chance of winning might increase for next time.'

She considered her grandfather's words for a few moments, and slowly nodded thoughtfully. Chess was like blading in the respects that they were both a game, and that you could only become better through training, learning and experience. Blading was never about the winning, but about the journey to winning, the competition, the learning and the experiences you might encounter.

She looked at her grandfather with piercing, green eyes 'Then teach me.'

He smiled at that, 'so you can beat me? I think not!'

She laughed, she would just have to learn off of her mistakes then, one of the best teachers in the world.

A couple of hours and brandy glasses later, Spartica's prediction proved true; the old man had won – again. Although this time she had noticed some flaws in his strategies, and once she pointed them out, he said that maybe she should not have told him, because now he could go away and correct it – and she would never win. She just stuck her tongue out at him at that. Cosmo said it was probably not _wise_ to mess with her mind like that. The comment was ignored.

'Hmm…I think I shall stick to rum thank you very much.' Exclaimed Dr. Haughton inspecting his empty glass. 'If you ever begin drinking Spartica, don't.'

Cosmo flicked her tail off the ground a little, a slight sign of irritation. 'Now even _she _knows that made no sense' she growled between under her breath. Spartica giggled a little, which was a rare occurrence for someone like her.

'Well now we have been _entertained'_ He glared over at Cosmo 'and my mind is too confident with alcohol, to back out now, I have a favour to ask you Spartica…'

'Oh…?' She pulled her eyebrows down into a frown, she was confuse, what in the world would her grandfather have to tell her, which would take up his confidence? He knew she would do anything for him. Well maybe not having to live with other people, that would be a no no.

'Well…Maybe I should start from the beginning, yes?' He glanced back down at his brandy glass. 'Cosmo had another vision…' That was nothing strange, her Cosmo was always having visions of the future… 'But the thing is, I had the same one.'

'About what?'

'Well four girls actually, of around the same age. They were all thrown out of their own homes…'

'Or will be…' Added Cosmo.

'Through unfair judgments or events. Their lives are going to change, but I do not know how for sure.'

'Then why are you telling me this?' Spartica was getting tired, it was nearing two in the morning and all she wanted to do was go back to bed.

'These four girls are in possession of…'

'Or will come into possession of…' added Cosmo, glaring at her master (honestly humans found it just so hard, talking in the future tense).

'Ahem, thank you Cosmo…Four bitbeasts, which have been passed down so many generations of their families that the bitbeasts' names are the same as their owner's surname. It is as if their families knew of the power behind the trapped spirits within.' A small look of awe crossed Dr. Haughton's face.

Spartica looked at him, again with her eyebrow raised. 'I'm sorry, but I still don't know what this has to do with me.'

'Okay Spartica I will try to be as blunt as possible; I need you to take these girls in and train them, teach them everything you know about blading…and life…'

'What?' Spartica looked at him in an icy way. He knew that she hated company, she did not like to talk with people she did not know, be with people she did not know, and she had never trained anyone in her life. Why? Why her? 'Why me?'

He sighed again and cocked his head to one side, fixing her with his pleading eyes. 'You know why. These girls are special Spartica; they may possess skills and powers we have never seen before. If anyone else…if they fall in with the wrong people, we may have to face a problem in the future. Spartica these girls are alone…'

'Will be alone…' Cosmo sighed in exasperation.

'Will you shut it Cosmo! They _will _be homeless, they _will _be alone, and they _will _need someone there for them.'

'But why me grandfather? You know I'm not a people person...' As cruel as she knew she was being to these four girls, well not directly, but still cruel, she did not know if she could handle such responsibility.

'Because you are the only one I know that has enough power to protect them right now. Spartica please, you know what it feels to have lost everything, to be alone…now you can help those who need you. Spartica please?' Dr. Haughton had never had to plead with his granddaughter for nearly seven years.

Seeing his desperate need, Spartica nodded reluctantly, she did know, she knew everything…those poor girls. She sighed, looked down at her hands and looked back up. 'Alright, I'll do it.' She gulped 'Tell me everything I need to know…'

By three in the morning, Dr. Haughton had given every last detail he knew of these girls to his granddaughter, as well as quickly booking some flights out of the country for her, and Spartica was impressed by the his resourcefulness; he must have been planning for quite a time.

Spartica, weary with exhaustion, stood up groggily and rubbed her eyes, before exclaiming that she was off, once again, to bed. Dr. Haughton took her in with proud eyes, before accepting that weak hug she had managed to give him, without falling sleepily over the chessboard.

Just before she left, he called her attention. She looked back at him with questioning eyes.

'Don't look for me in the morning Spartica. I won't be here.'

She nodded solemnly, they all left…


	3. Dove Rikasha

Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade although with enough money I certainly would try to   
I hope you enjoy reading this next chapter it's quite long but interesting none the less so you shouldn't min (I hope)   
Please review so I know what everyone thinks of the story   
As always the story was written by Kizmet I'm just putting it up for her so everybody worship her greatness   
All hail Kizmet (bowing down)Ohmmmmmmm. Chapter 3 – Dove Rikasha 

Dove had never had any real good luck in her life, she was clumsy, accident prone, and a little on the quiet side. It was not as if she meant to smash the small jar of Madam Zubi's special honey (which could only be made every ten years), or break the head off the sacred statue of the great warrior Centurion Hillowhox, it just…happened.

Dove believed that she was her late ancestors only source of entertainment, or that they had simply forgotten her. In any case, there was no doubt about it – she would never have any true good luck, and she would never have any true friends that would risk being around her for more than five minutes. Mind you there was that time…no wait…that was all of 4 minutes and fifty-five seconds.

Dove Rikasha lived in the tribal village of Rakshasa, which was so scarily near her own family name, she almost doubted that the clan's leading Neko-Jin were as truthful as they appeared. Clan Rakshasa inhabited a small solitary group of hills in northern China; it was a close-knit community, where everyone knew each other from their shoe size up.

Although thinking such things was a terrible memory for Dove, as the local tanner, Master Veribon, had only just made her a nice pair of tough, leather shoes for her birthday. It was only natural for her to destroy them completely within the next hour, after a close encounter with a raging bull, which had strayed too far from the herd. How she had managed to devastate them beyond compare was still unknown – and according to her father, was 'best not thought about.'

'Best not thought about', was a phrase that was really starting to get on the neko's nerves, which were already tattered and frayed enough. Dove was interested in the outside world, so much so that she spent much of her spare time in the small library on the west side of the village. She wanted to explore her horizons and gain more knowledge than that of milking a cow, and reading up on 'one hundred ways to ensure a friendly bond between you and your future mother-in-law'.

This type of hobby was not looked upon kindly by her fellow nekos, however, and the local priest had banned her from reading about the technology of the more 'advanced' world. Banned to an extent of course, as the bookkeeper could not always keep his eye on her – especially when a number of bookshelves had been knocked over, (accidentally of course) a few minutes before hand. Honour dictated she own up to her little…trip to 'the world where books preferred to fly'.

Luck, as you might have already established, was not Dove's thing.

However, there was one thing that she was good at, and it was the only thing that encouraged her to remove her head from the pillow every morning; Dove was an excellent fighter.

Throughout her childhood, she had wanted nothing than to become a 'Guardian Warrior' as her father had once been – being of poor class she doubted she would become the 'tribal beauty' her mother had once been, the fact that her mother had come to such a station was lost on Dove, for she had never seen a picture of her.

She had been told little of her mother, as speaking of her would only upset her father more, and sometimes his sorrow was harder to take than his disappointment in her. Although, even with what little she knew, Dove did not fully understand her late mother; Bedika Rikasha had been a noble of their race, and was said to once almost come close to leading the clan itself – through marriage. Instead she had chosen to marry her father and not Polo Mavir (the current clan leader). Why give up a life of riches, to marry a man that was not even worth as much as his swords?

At her question her father would only smile, turn his head towards the window, sigh at length and say no more.

Now, at the age of fifteen, Dove had entered an apprenticeship of the 'Guardians', she was a good pupil, and she excelled in the arts of war, especially the traditional, ambidextrous fighting of the twinned katana.

Her master was an old man, whom seemed, to her, to be even older than the ancient art she practiced. He was a stern teacher, but he never raised his voice, although she doubted that he would ever manage more than a rasping rattle. He was not wise, as most masters were said to be, but more on the intelligent side; he never taught her any sayings 'filled with hidden meanings', but rather expected her to say her twelve-time table while she parried, and spell 'onomatopoeia' before she could do one full swing.

Mornings would start early, and she would rise with the sun as expected, to begin morning exercise, before joining her other peers within the temple for meditation, led by the High Priest. High Priest Tonapo did not express any feelings of kindness towards Dove, and neither did she pretend to notice any.

Three hours before lunch were used for learning the basics of a working life, and how to get along with everyone – namely etiquette; this was obviously not Dove's favourite of subjects, but she gave no protest to learning it either, such were the way of the warrior – to take orders without question. Duty.

Afternoons were spent with Madam Posies, learning the ways of a true woman – how to cook, clean, wash clothes, keep your husband drunk when situation called for it – that sort of thing. Madam Posies frowned upon Dove's youthful enthusiasm towards fighting, and called it a 'barbaric male sport', which Dove countered was an 'artistic delight, which helped her decide the best was to destroy her fruit flan with a kitchen knife when she got home.' Madam Posies smacked her across her knuckles, and made her write out the fifteen rules of a proper woman twenty times before sending her home in shame.

Since then Dove promised to keep her mouth shut, and try not to let Madam Posies get under her skin anymore. And Madam Posies told all the teachers to keep a closer, and stricter eye on the young neko.

After two hours of 'torture', as Dove called it, the girls were then sent on to Madam Zubi's hut, to learn about herbs and clerical work, as well as bee keeping – this Dove enjoyed, though it might have had something to do with the fact that she was the only one the bees had not decided to sting yet. Dove hoped it was because they felt sorry enough for her already, or she just was not worth the time and effort. Either way – it did not matter.

Madam Zubi was kindly enough, and even though she looked at Dove through pity filled eyes, she never actually directly helped the girl.

Her evening times were used for being taught by her warrior master Yakumi, this was what Dove looked forward to during her day, and although she did not know why it was important learn that water was denser than ice (and that that was meant to be strange), she filed away the knowledge.

Then night would come and she could finally rest, and escape her father shamed filled eyes.

Her life was her life, and she was satisfied with it.

Until the day of the carnival…

The carnival was made up of travelling family groups, whom her father had told her were called 'Romanies'. The carnival travelled in an annual cycle and would stop to visit every village it passed en-route. How they managed to arrive on the same date, every year, was a mystery.

High priest Tonapo used this opportunity to celebrate the remembrance of Centurion Hillowhox – so it came of no surprise when Dove was met with frowns, as the village folk crowded round the decapitated statue of the great war hero himself.

The high priest always made sure that the 'unfortunate event of the breaking of such a _monumental _and _sacred _statue,' was always mentioned somewhere in his ceremonial speech. This Dove attempted to ignore, which was easy considering that his voice, she decided, could be used in a sleeping drug, which would easily become a top brand. She also amused herself, to pass the time, by choosing a good name for it 'Tonomonic'.

It did not help, however, that the clan elders and, unsurprisingly, Polo Mavir nodded enthusiastically at the 'monument tragedy' comment; and while saying such things such as 'such a shame' and 'should never have happened'.

Leader Mavir even once said that 'no _real_ neko would have even scratched it.'

To which Madam Zubi replied that 'Dove must be stronger than a _real_ neko in that case.'

Of course Madam Zubi knew that that was not what the proud neko-jin had _really _tried to say, but he was quickly silenced after that; there was no point arguing with the village wise woman – there was a reason the were called 'wise' after all.

It had been the first time that someone had stood up for Dove. Although she, herself, did not think herself very strong, just extremely fast – well you had to be after the tribes own hunting dogs decided you were good enough to be their main exercise.

Dove managed to wake up before dawn, and decided that maybe now, today, would be a good time to watch the sunrise. Perhaps she could ask her ancestors for keeping her out of trouble (if they would listen to her), or ask even grate Hillowhox for the dexterity to remain on her feet, upright, for a whole twenty-four hours (although she did not know if he was talking to her – or if he could anymore), that made her smile.

Yawning like a tiger, bearing her two front canines (surprisingly she had not knocked them out yet), Dove reach for her washbasin, and scrubbed her face.

She looked up absently to look in the broken mirror hanging on the wall.

Seven years bad luck…

Seven…

She lifted a finger to trace an outline of the yin-yang symbol on one cheek, and then the other. They had been tattooed onto her face only two weeks ago; they represented her decided path – the path of a warrior. Once Eckla, the high priest's wife told her she was all yin and no yang. She smirked slightly at the thought, if that was what her fellow nekos wanted to believe – let them think it, they would not deter her from her path.

She swept back her long black hair, before parting it in two, and the twos into threes. Dove's hair reached down towards her ankles, which annoyed her slightly, as clumsy people should not be allowed hair that could be a future accident waiting to happen. Dove would not cut it in a million years mind, and as she reached for her stained string ties, she plaited it lovingly into pigtails, which trailed just to the top of the back of her knees.

Happy with her reflection, even if it was broken up, Dove marched to the door and flung it open.

The house was silent, the village sounded quiet too, even though the Romanies had arrived last night. Not wanting to break the music of the early morning, she tiptoed past her father's room and down the old stairs. She winced at the squeaks she made; no matter how hard she tried, she just could not move silently enough.

'Dove is that you?' Her father's voice sounded through the door of the first bedroom. Dove scowled, should she answer, or keep up pretence, as if she were some silent shadow…

'Dove I know it's you. Go back to bed honey, it's the carnival today, you can have a lie in.' So much for the silent shadow…

'I'll be back to make breakfast father.' As an afterthought she added, 'I promise.'

A soft grunting sound was her only reply.

It was only when Dove was running round the nearby marshes, the thought occurred to her, that her father may only have heard her because of his neko senses. Maybe a human would not be able to detect such things so well, but then again those stairs could make such a noise that it would wake up Hillowhox's dead brother in law. Such thoughts were none too pleasant.

Dove came to a halt near the edge of a small lake, and looked in. Two sad eyes stared back at her, whatever pride was left inside her soul, was hidden behind two, amber-coloured orbs. The wind, which was picking up at a fast pace, flicked her bangs into her face, and gently caressed her cheeks.

Her own face entranced her, it reminded her slightly of the story of narcissus. Yet it was not any beauty that enthralled her, but the heart-rending story that lay behind her neutral façade.

Captured up within the vision, she did not notice the gale blowing full force in her direction, and she promptly fell face first into the lake.

This had not been the first time she had fallen in, but the feelings that rose and boiled within her heart were different. It was not fair! It just was not fair! Why her? Why did this always have to happen to her? As she surfaced, she gulped in the morning air, and spluttered and sobbed in distress. The water was deeper than she remembered; it came up to her waist. Pain overtook her, not physical, but mental, and she cried out as she stood up straight in the water.

'Why? What do you want from me? Do you punish me?' She raised her hands to the air as she screamed, before finally, overcome with emotion, she sobbed a request. 'Please just show me what you want. Please.'

The air grew quiet and sticky, as if the folds of time had interwoven and become too thick. The moments dragged by in slow motion, before finally resting in a decided place.

Something between a growl and yowl came from the bank of the lake, and there upon the silt sat a small wild cat. Its ruff hair stuck out like a small bird's new plumage, and the small yellow eyes watched the girl in the lake, as she gaped at the little miracle. Spots that were only just appearing adorned its sleek and fluffy coat, its paws seemed too big for its body, but the sharp claws looked menacing enough.

Dove knew exactly what type of creature it was, a cheetah cub; with all the look of innocence and vulnerability, but a sharp mind of complete awareness. The only problem was – _what the hell is it doing here?_ Thought Dove.

Cheetahs were not exactly common in China; actually they did not live in China at all, except for zoos of course. Had the Romanies brought it? Had it escaped then? She shook her head, if that was the case, she should return it.

Wading towards the bank, her baggy ceremonial trousers weighed down by water and mud, Dove reached out her hand, and made kissing noises to ensure the creature would not be startled by her presence, and bolt. It did not move from where it sat, but eyed her with a calm look, and proceeded to clean its whiskers. Just before she reached the small cat it looked up, and before Dove's own eyes, vanished.

As she had made a swipe for the cheetah cub, with both arms, she lost her balance at the sudden disappearance, and once again fell over into the muddy silt.

Dove thought she had gone mad.

Mr Miroth looked up from his work on the small fire within the living space, and watched as his only daughter walked in. She was soaking and covered in mud from top to toe. Not only that, but she appeared to be wearing her ceremonial clothes. This time Mr Miroth decided not to shake his head at her, but kept his face passive as he turned back to the hearth – it would not have been the first time.

Dove sensed her father's weariness at her appearance, and silently took towards the rickety stairs. Before she climbed, however, she turned back and opened her mouth to ask something, then though better of it and returned to the task of scaling the stairs, without toppling back to the bottom; the experience with the cheetah cub, was best kept to herself.

She stripped her clothes off, and grabbed one of her two sets of training clothes to put on. She would be stared at, like a lunatic, for wearing clothes like this today, but what did it matter, they always did anyway. This caused her mind to wander back, to the reflection of herself that she had seen in the mirror; just how long did she expect that she could keep the rest of that pride? The pride that was being slowly chipped away at, by even her own father?

For the first time in years, Dove put her head in her hands, and cried.

**The Carnival, at the centre of Village Rakshasa, near the statue of Hillowhox, outside the temple**

The carnival was a colourful sight to behold, all types of characters had joined in on the annual travelling trip, and this helped give the Romanies a unique personality and reputation. The Bazaar was filled with unusual scents and sound, and was one of Dove's favourite features of the carnival, second to the acrobats.

The Bazaar was held within the village centre, right outside the temple; in this way, high priest Tonapo could keep an eye on everything – it was also a good way of gathering funding money for the temple, which Dove swore only went towards giving Tonapo more flashy clothes to wear, each year.

At the age of fifteen, Dove was now trusted enough to look at the stalls on her own; although she somehow doubted anyone really 'trusted' her. This would also give her another advantage though; she could sneak out of Tonapo's Hillowhox speech, and not one person would notice. They would either be too busy falling asleep, or trying to listen.

The neko wandered around in a circuit as she gazed over that foreign things lay out on the stalls. She had no money to buy anything with, but she enjoyed imagining what she would buy if she was able to do so. Her sandaled feet slapped the ground, and the sun beat heavily upon the back of her neck, which was exposed through the parting of her plaits.

All around were shouts of: 'Fresh fish', 'exotic furniture', 'come up, some see', 'come and have your fortune read by Madam Mystic'. Somehow Dove doubted that Madam Mystic was the woman's real name, but as her father always said, 'All to their own.'

The blue sky above was lightened by the suns burning rays, and not a cloud was to be seen; it emanated a feeling of true happiness, something Dove rarely felt recently, except during training lessons. Silk scarves, and unknown foods, complicated carvings, and fun games surrounded her, all around people were grinning, bearing their sharp fangs, and talking heartily to each other. No one seemed to notice the out of place clothing the young neko wore, and she was positive that, apart from that mishap this morning, everything was going to be fine. Nothing was going to stop her having fun today.

Nothing…

Or so she thought.

The time for Tonapo's speech came to quickly, and the smallest of children protested, before being sternly and quietly scolded by their parents. Dove spotted her father at the east side of the crowd, trying to be the furthest away from the executed statue of Centurion Hillowhox – she did not blame him, she felt like doing the same. It did not take long for Tonapo to ruffle his robes into order and take his place at the sermon stand, just above that statue, and looking over where its head would have been.

_Each year he does more to rub in my foolishness_, she thought down heartened.

The high priest held a candle in his right hand this year, and used his left to turn the pages of the papyrus, on which his prepared speech was written. Before started his monotonous talking, he eyed that candle warily, as the wax was starting to drip and spill, and the dish in which he held it was rather shallow. Tonapo started:

'Only three hundred years ago, the village of Rakshasa was nothing but a burnt out ruin of the ancient past…'

And only three lines into the speech, Dove was about ready to dose off. That is, she would have if she had not spotted the danger. Out of the corner of her almond-shaped, amber eyes, Dove thought she saw a flicker of movement that seemed so out of place, it was almost unreal. She never knew how she had seen such a thing, when no one else had, but all her senses flared up at once, and a voice screamed inside her head.

_Danger._

Dove growled, whoever or whatever it was, they were aiming to murder the High Priest. Sure she did not like him, but she did not wish death on him either. And although a murder in the village would make an interesting subject, she did not think she was ready to experience such a thing yet.

Whatever danger the Tonapo was in, she had no idea, she just knew something was dreadfully wrong, and that he had to be removed from the line of fire at once.

With that thought in mind, Dove jumped.

She leaped high into the air, higher than she thought would be possible, and grabbed the high priest in mid-flight. Dove thought that she felt herself soaring, that she was able to suddenly fly, but it was not to last, unfortunately; both she and high priest Tonapo landed two carnival stores, which then proceeded to knock down the rest in a type of domino affect. It was too late, when everyone realised that the candle had flown out of Tonapo's hand and onto the roof of the temple – it was already bathed in flames within two minutes, such is the problem when you build it out of wood and straw.

Only silence gripped the audience, silence and fear that is. No panic stricken neko-jinns heading for shelter, or flustered mothers trying to hush their baby's, (although the temple attendants were rushing round for water). So everyone heard the small voice of Dove as she spoke:

'I'm still alive.' It only occurred to her later, that her fellow nekos might have preferred it if she had died in the accident. As it happened she managed to pick herself up from the rubble, and swing her arms about like a flustered chicken. 'Oh.' She whispered 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm…'

She did not finish the last apology as her flailing arm caught Madam Posies in the face, causing her to be knocked back into a puddle of half-baked mud. Dove raised her hands to her mouth, her amber eyes wide, her cheeks burning crimson.

'That's it,' screeched Leader Mavir, 'that is the last time!' Madam Zubi made a desperate scrabble for his arm, but lost the tug of war, as he pulled it back. 'That girl is a hazard. A vary _dangerous _hazard! And I declare we have a meeting of the elders to decide her fate.' At the last word Leader Mavir turned round to glare coldly at Dove, his golden eyes as hard as flint.

_Fate? Oh dear, that does not sound good. _Thought Dove, and gulped. Searching for her father, Dove saw him standing next to the statue of Hillowhox. There was no escaping the shame in his eyes, as he concentrated on training his eyes on her.

**The Court Session, at the feet of the statue of Hillowhox**

The Bazaar had been cleared away, and all that remained now were a few multicoloured banners, which look out of place amongst the grey slab stone paving, and grave faces that looked down upon the teenage neko. The audience that had attended that carnival were not her only witnesses for this session, but also that Romanies who had decided that watching someone get punished for breaking up their stalls, was good enough entertainment.

The congregation sweltered under the intense heat of the midday sun, and used their hands as fans in an attempt to cool their sweating faces. Cool glasses of water had been placed in front of those who were to be Dove's judges, who were the clan's elders. Madam Zubi was among them, but she looked more sympathetic and concerned than the rest of them, she kept twitching and looked around her warily with sorrow filled eyes, as if ashamed and nervous about her position there.

Beside Madam Zubi stood a cloaked figure; their hunched posture mirrored that of Dove's own. She kept her eyes fixed firmly to the ground as the decision of her fate was read out, and dug her fingers tightly into the palm of her hands, her pointed fingernails drawing blood. The crowd was silent as they awaited the verdict – Polo Mavir was the one to give it:

'Dove Bedika Miroth Rikasha, the clan elders have become worried about your presence among us. A meeting was called for late this morning. In that time we have passed many suggestions for your fate. Some have been that of death itself, but we have been advised to look upon you with sympathy, and give you a second chance. Your actions have brought you down this path; they go as follows:

The breaking of our sacred statue, of Centurion Hillowhox. _An accident._

The persistent danger you present to the tribe itself through your own unchecked clumsiness. _You think I mean to do those things?_

Constant failings to attend certain classes. _I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, father had to fish me out._

Unnecessary abuse towards Madam Posies. _Did she ever mention her ill treatment of me?_

The destruction of our sacred festival. _So said sacred by Tonapo._

And the destruction of our temple. _Ah…no excuse, but all I can say is that I did not purposely aim for the candle to land on the temple._

Do you accept these accusations?'

'I do,' replied Dove, her voice void of emotion; there was no point arguing, she would have to take their words as they came.

'Dove Bedika Miroth Rikasha, you are hereby exiled from Village Rakshasa, and all other neko-jin communities. If you attempt to break this expulsion you shall be arrested and most likely hanged. Do you understand?'

Banishment? Exile? No wait…this could not be happening to her. Where would she go? She had no relations living within any nearby cities, and civilisation was miles away. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye, a diamond filled with frustration, disbelief and complete and utter humiliation.

'Do you understand Rikasha?' Mavir said again, this time she could hear a venomous tone in his low, dangerous voice.

She nodded, and this time, in a much quieter voice said: 'I do.'

'Step forward then and receive your mark.'

She was not sure what exactly a 'mark' was, but she was pretty sure it was some type of symbol, which represented that she was an outcast of neko-jin society. She walked slowly and shakily towards the dais and found herself standing before Madam Zubi; the old neko reached out a wrinkly hand, and held her chin in gentle shaking fingers. In Madam Zubi's other hand was a sharp, recently sterilised knife.

'I'm sorry Dove, I tried…I tried…'

The slick bite of the knife sliced through Dove's cheek, and she almost screamed at the pain that flashed through her nerves. The 'mark', it turned out, was there not only to symbolise her banishment, but to also destroy the yin-yang symbols tattooed onto her face. Madam Zubi's face was solemn, but there was no pleasure shown there in what she was doing.

Next the hooded figure approached her, another knife in their hand. As they reached for her chin, she looked into the hood, to see none other than her own father. She turned her face away from him, and shut her eyes, offering her other cheek. In the brief moment when their eyes had locked, she had been met with a never-ending sadness, a well of shame, which tugged at her very soul.

The last piece of pride Dove had guarded so closely of late, shattered at that moment, and she did not feel anything as the knife entered her skin.

She was numb.

**Outside the gates of Village Rakshasa**

Dove stood outside the gates of Village Rakshasa, and looked at the road before her with a blank expression, and unblinking eyes. Was this not what she always wanted? To go elsewhere, and not stay in the village all her life?

_Not like this. Never like this…_

A cool wind blew, whisking her ratted hair into her face and around her body. She had been stripped of all she had; everything to her clothes, to her string ties, and she shivered in the twilight, with no sun to warm her, she was starting to get cold. She sensed a presence behind her, but did not bother to turn around. She already knew it was.

'Dove?' Her father's voice, soft and warm, almost comforting, but it did nothing to melt the ice quickly freezing around her heart. 'Dove I am to give you your weapons and talisman.'

He came to stand before her and looked into her eyes. They did nothing to tell him of her feelings. She did not feel anything, just a numbness, she did not want to feel anything, and not in front of him either.

He brought up in front of her face, a patterned box. It was intricately carved with the pictures of intertwining vines and flowers of a foreign land.

'These,' he started 'were given to your mother when she visited Africa.' Dove was startled by this information; it was the only piece of information that her father had freely given to her, about her mother, without her persistent questioning. He opened the box to present two expensive, and very deadly looking katanii, along with a sword belt, of the finest leather Dove had ever seen.

Taking the belt and Katanii from the box, she strapped them around her waist, afterwards she realised her father was holding something else; it was obviously to be her talisman. He held the amulet in both hands, they were shaking uncontrollably and his whole body trembled.

'When I married your mother I vowed to protect her, I also vowed to protect this too. I do not know what it is, but it was important to her, another of her African artefacts. I failed Dove…' his voice cracked at this point, he swallowed and tried again, 'I failed to protect your mother from her fate, but I have not failed to protect this. That box and this amulet are all I have to remember her by…they are yours now…make me…proud.'

Dove felt warm water on her hands as he gave her the amulet, she thought that she had begun to cry, until she realised that the tears came from her father, himself. In all her life, Dove had never seen Ivor Miroth cry, and she vowed that she would never do so again. That was if she ever saw him again.

She placed the amulet around her neck, and let the chain settle the medallion to the under part of her ribs. When she next looked up, he was walking away from her…

**One hour later**

Dove could not remember being so cold in her life, she wished, no matter how much the humiliation, someone would just happen to be travelling in the same direction as her. She was naked, hungry and her cheeks were finally beginning to sting again, Madam Zubi had placed salve and bandages onto the cuts, but she was told that they were going to leave some 'handsome scars'.

Still, Dove had to trudge on, it would not do to be left outside in the night, but she would have to rest soon. The katanii brushed against her legs as she walked, and gave her an odd sense of comfort, her tribe, or at least her father, were not prepared to let her leave into the wild completely unprotected.

It was some time before Dove realised that she could hear a soft humming, and when that time came soft lamp lights could be seen in the distance just over her shoulder. Dove was not sure whether to ask for help or keep on walking, whatever or whoever it was, could have been dangerous.

The humming turned out to be an engine of a car, a very long car at that. Dove had seen such machines before, at the village, and had been curious of their meaning, but the other neko-jin had been hesitant and wary of the mechanical beasts. To her, cars were a sign of true civilisation; to the locals they were a sign of broken tradition.

The very long car was a shiny black, with tinted windows, and slowed as it approached her. She stopped as it did and looked at it sideways, before turning her whole body towards the back window and attempting to look in, to no avail. The sound of the door opening startled her, so that she stumbled and fell back onto the cold grass. Someone stepped out and offered her a hand.

The neko looked up into the face of the someone, and was surprised to see that it was a girl, only around her age, maybe a little older. She had long black hair, tucked behind her ears, but her eyes were hard to extinguish in the dusky evening. In the other hand she held a long piece of material.

She took the offered hand and stood up, surprised yet again, by the strength she sensed. The girl shook out the material, before placing it around her shoulders, it was a makeshift cloak. Dove looked up into the shadowed face of the girl as she spoke for the first time:

'Dove Rikasha?'

'Yes?'

How she knew her name, she did not know, but neither did this point particularly bother her. She was too cold and hungry to question it, and this girl had given her something to chase away the cold. In Dove's books, this girl was friendly. The mysterious friend went on to introduce herself:

'My name is Spartica Haughton, I would ask that you accompany me, you can bring your swords with you, but if you even think about slaughtering my butler Naugetii or I, think again.'

Dove nodded numbly and followed Spartica back into the car, she was safe at last, and even though she knew she had just entered a new stage in her life, she did not particularly care at that moment. She was past caring. Dove was overcome by a sense of warmth as she sat down, and registered groggily that there was more room in this car then she had first suspected.

The neko was not aware of any danger, and her senses did not alert any to her, in fact she felt strangely…safe, as if she had been picked up by a guardian angel, maybe she had died…than again, maybe she was just having some type of luck for the first time. She smiled; maybe, just maybe, someone did like her up there after all, and in her mind she pictures a large grassy plain with a tiny cheetah cub bounding over a small hill.

As the car began to move once more, Dove became sleepy, and felt as though the whole world was gently rocking her to sleep, and with the last thought she could spare, Dove could only think one thing.

_I will make you proud of me father, I promise…I promise…_


	4. Kim Lugen

  
woohoo another review.... we love reviews so thank you Disclaimer: don't own beyblade but do own all the original characters blah blah blah......once again worship Kizmet for this is her story 

Chapter 4 – Kim Lugen 

Luigi absently tapped at the keys of Kim's personal electronic diary. He lifted one hairy poor to scratch his ear and then tried again to guess the password. He had been doing so for the two years he had known her, but was still no closer to entering her secrets.

Sighing to himself, he gently placed the diary on her floral patterned bed. Luigi then jumped down, to land neatly on the floor with tail high in the air, before scaling her small bookshelf.

He ran his nimble fingers across the many dictionaries and thesauruses that lines up against the wall. He scowled, unable to find one that he had not tried; there was not one word that he could come across that could even begin to help him solve her little riddle.

Lim Lugen had originally given her monkey bitbeast, Luigi, a riddle, in a purpose to keep him busy while she attended school. It was not long before he realised that it was also the key to unlocking her innermost thoughts.

It was engraved in gold plate, on the front of her diary:

'What is greater than the Gods?

More evil than the Devils?

Poor people have it,

Reach people need it,

And if you eat it, you will die.'

In frustration, Luigi swung himself roughly in the direction of the food jar; Kim kept food in this personally for the monkey, normally shelled nuts, broken biscuits, or dried fruit – when she could get it. Holding the once-jam jar in his small paws, he tipped it upside down…and growled.

Closing his squinty eyes, he tried to block the shame he felt, caused by his own greed and selfishness; he knew Kim was finding it harder each day to sneak food to him, problems he knew little of. When Kim had first found him, alone and wandering the streets of Johannesburg, she had been more of a friend to him than anyone he had ever known. Since that day he had vowed to protect her – and her food stash.

Even if that meant working on a riddle, with an empty stomach. Nothing to eat…nothing.

Nothing…

Nothing?

Nothing!

That was it! The answer! Nothing!

Slinging himself back to the bed, Luigi deftly picked up the small machine, and sat on the rag-tag pillow, fingers poised above the tiny keys in suspense.

He gulped.

The moment of truth

He spoke each letter clearly as he typed them in with a shaky claw:

'N.O.T.H.I.N.G'

Luigi sat back startled as the diary spoke to _him _for the first time:

'Password verified, good afternoon Kim.'

These word – the same words he had heard every night she used the personal diary. They were spoken with an unmistakeably masculine voice. Every night Kim would pause for a moment. A long moment. When she wrote up her personal account, Luigi would always stay at a respectful distance from her; what she wrote was her business.

Although, even from his perch on top of the bookshelf, Luigi could sense the sorrow the girl exuded. Her back was always to him, but he could see her shoulders tremble – he dared not get involved with such human emotion however.

Sometimes it appeared as if Kim cared more for the tiny machine than her own bitbeast, Luigi, but she never said she did – nor ever denied it.

Luigi had nothing, however, only Kim herself, and she was his whole world. She was the one who had took him in, encouraged him to speak, who had made him realise that he was not just an odd outcast of a monkey, but special. _She_ made him feel special. Otherwise he had nothing – not even a measly peanut.

Luigi now looked sideways at the tiny treasure in front of him, he did have access to her diary now. Even though he knew she might not appreciate anybody actually reading her personal accounts, she had not expressly forbidden it.

Driven by temptation, Luigi opened one account she appeared to have written recently, about three days ago in fact. Her words were bitter and cruel, and they struck a chord in Luigi's heart, and chilled him to the bone.

_February 19th 2002,_

_Today was my birthday, my thirteenth in fact, not that anyone noticed…'_

Her thirteenth? Was the human only that old? He found it hard to discern the different meanings of ages between human and bitbeast. Luigi had only just celebrated his one thousand eight hundred and first year since the day of his calling. He paused in thought, shrugged, and read on.

_The teachers at school say I should stop working so hard, as I could make the other kids in my class 'feel slightly below average' – of course I know that means 'stupid', but the kids in my class _are _idiots; all they care about is their clothes, hair, make-up and who has whom for a girlfriend/boyfriend. Popularity sucks, it's so bleh…yeah bleh is a good word._

Popularity? Luigi had heard of the idea of class among humans; in fact it was little different from that of other primates. However, he knew Kim was clever for a human, and now at only thirteen years of age? She must be a genius.

As an intelligent one of her species, Luigi always suspected Kim to be a type of leader, or was at least heading in that way. He had always thought that that was why she was so lonely all the time, but obviously he was wrong, it was not the case.

And what on the material plane was make-up? Was it a pretend game of sorts? Were her peers leaving her out of their playtime? Boyfriend/girlfriend evidently had something to do with your connection within the family – or whatever you called a group of humans.

Reading on, Luigi realised that he did not understand most of what Kim seemed to be rambling on about; he might have been a super intelligent monkey for his kind, but was still a monkey all the same. He had also known little of the outside world since he had entered Kim's room – except for the tree outside her window.

There was one line that did not escape his attention:

_Sara is getting worse, it is almost like she does not recognise me anymore.'_

Luigi frowned at this part, he knew Sara to be the only other human that live in this house. Sara, Kim had one tried to explain, was her stepmother, but what a stepmother was Luigi still did not really know. It was a type of family humans seemed to accept, but not a concept he could get his head round; you were born with a mother and father (or called into being in his case) or the rest of the tribe took care of you.

Sara did not know of Luigi's existence, and both Luigi and Kim decided the preferred it that way. He kept well hidden; mostly in Kim's room, or on the tree outside, (he even pretended to be a stuffed animal once – not the most comfortable of experiences). While in Kim's room he often heard the older female shouting, and her words seemed a little slurred at times. Sometimes Kim had entered the room, in silence, with marks adorning her face, hands and body, but she never spoke of it. Silences could stretch for hours between Kim and Luigi during those times, and she would not be consoled.

The last in her diary, caused him the most reason to pause:

I fear for Luigi's safety… 

The monkey of the subject, stared at the crystalline screen with wide, round eyes. Safety? He had been told everyday by Kim to 'be careful', but many humans said that before leaving each other – it was like sacred words in their farewell.

If there was danger for him – then there had to be danger for her too.

He swallowed heavily again; how would he approach her about this? In reality he should not have been reading her diary in the first place.

Humans were odd creatures Luigi decided; they had a choice to ignore their natural instincts entirely, but mostly chose to give in to animal temptation – such as eating as much as was available to them, and stealing. Luigi knew Kim was slightly small for a human, he had often heard her complaining about her size. Maybe she was a runt of her family, perhaps that was why they had all left her, but if you had the advantage over instinct…why leave? Why not do all you could to give the new addition a good chance in life.

The sound of the front door clicking shut could be heard from downstairs, and easily reached his ear mite infested ears, and immediately Luigi felt the presence of him human mistress, Kim. He was suddenly aware of his current situation – Kim might climb the stairs any minute now, and he was still clasping her diary!

Luigi fiddled with it as if his long fingers were made of wet soap, it kept on slipping up out of his shaking hands, as he tried to find a place to put it. That was until he remembered Kim kept it under the mattress, all he had to do was slide it back into the wooden cranny, and look busy.

By the time Kim burst into the room, Luigi was ready, and looked as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. Kim really was short for her age, at around only five foot one. She had brown bushy hair, the colour of autumn leaves, which reached her shoulders in shaggy split ends. Her eyes were wide, ocean blue, and innocent, she had no need for glasses, but around her neck hung a magnifying glass. No one ever knew why she kept a magnifying glass, but she said it was there just in case she should need it. Her fingernails were split and fanned, out of stress and purposeful ignorance for her own image.

Kim always wore frayed blue dungarees, and a tatty white t-shirt, which had many stains splashed here and there, collected over the years, she had been unable to wash off. A denim hair band finished her attire, and she wore it with pride, even if it did make her seem younger than she did already.

'Whew, that's a first.' She exclaimed happily from her place by the doorway.

'First for what?' asked Luigi, trying to look the perfect picture of pure innocence, as he studied the 'forever friends' picture hanging next to her bedside table. 'I don't see anything first around here. No siree, nothing of the slightest first that ever came to the first dimension of the first ever made material plane. The first of course that never even happened…'

Kim raised one bushy eyebrow, frowning, something was up. 'Luigi, are you all right? You're acting a bit odd.'

Luigi down at his back legs, and then made his eyes shift around the room. 'All right? She asks the monkey, if he's all right? And I would answer yes, yes mistress, Luigi is fine, nothing going on here, but…'

'But…' Encouraged Kim, she did not like the way this was going.

Luigi saw his chance… 'But Luigi was wondering, oh yes he was, if anything is wrong with the young mistress? Luigi is worried, and would like to ask about her well being, oh yes he would.'

'Well I…' she started. She thought better of what she was about to say then tried again, 'Didn't you notice that Sara is not in the house?'

Luigi shook his head enthusiastically, 'Luigi notice nothing, Luigi see nothing. As wise monkeys say, 'see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil,' or was it 'ignorance is bliss', Luigi forget now…or maybe it was both. Anyways Luigi say…no he not notice any missing Sara today, but Luigi was wondering, oh yes he was, did Sara forget you today, maybe?'

'Sara? Why would she…?'

'Thought you could get away from me you little scamp?' answered a slurred voice from behind the door. Luigi became stiff, as he sensed the danger lurking behind that voice. He immediately jumped to the ground and bounded over to his mistress.

Kim's situation was a lot worse than Luigi had ever known. Kim's only living relative, was not even a blood relative, but her alcoholic stepmother, Sara. Sara was a white South African, just as Kim's father had been, and had married him after Timothy Lugen decided, finally, that his daughter needed a mother. Kim's own mother had died in childbirth, and now she was left in the world with no siblings. Her father had died only about two years ago, he had been poisoned by one of his own experiments, or so they said.

Kim lived the life of a social outcast; she was small, not very keen on looking after her own looks, and a quiet child. This all added up to the point that she could no longer stand up against her own stepmother, all she needed was a friend, what she got was a monkey. Although, Kim was grateful, she could never have asked for a nicer miracle than her own little Luigi; he was the star in her life, and the smile on the side of her mouth.

Kim had often asked how Luigi thought they had come together, and all he told her was that, in his heart, he heard her call, and somehow they met in the middle. They were not just a girl and her monkey, they were Kim and Luigi, they were a team, and they were two halves that made a whole. They were counterpart clockwork.

And right now Luigi's counterpart was calling to him in desperation and fear. She did not need to say it – he could feel it, inside his mind, throbbing like an ache that refused to subside. He could feel that sharp twinge of anguish that started from the tip of his nose to the end of his toes, and it infuriated him no end. How dare this other creature scare her so!

He was strong, he was invincible, he was…flying across to the other side of the room by a large hand, shaped like a fly swat. _Wow Luigi did not know he could fly_, he thought before he hit the wall.

He heard his mistress scream for real this time, for him: 'LUIGI!' she screamed in distress. She clasped her head in panic and tried to run to his side, to aid him in anyway she could, but a heavy, strong hand held and pulled her back. 'NO! LET GO!'

'Who woulda thought that such a little runt like you could make so much noise?' questioned her cruel captor. She tugged her round so that she was facing her, a sneer lit her features as she scanned the girl, and started dragging her downstairs.

Kim's feet became tangled as she tried to keep up with the monster, she wanted to cause herself less physical damage as was possible. In her mind, she thought like lightening; she analysed her situation, before looking for pathways that led to conclusions, very few came to peaceful end. She was brought back to reality by a slap across her face, and looked into the face of the growling maniac.

'I've had just about enough of you.' Sara told her 'You've always pranced about this place like a crazed loon, just like your father!' Kim's eyes watered, not only by the pressure that was painfully being applied to her chin, but because of the insult towards her father; she wanted to yell and scream at her current intimidator, but only found, in her mind, that doing so would only cause more problems, or which she had plenty. 'Well enough of this!' Exclaimed Sara, almost triumphant. Her hair stuck out and strange angles and her face was beet red, and Kim was vaguely reminded of a porcupine that had eaten too many pickles.

Kim was starting to lose consciousness, from lack of oxygen, as the porcupine's hand was wrapped around her throat – she knew it was only meant to threaten, not kill – but even so black spots started to dance in her vision. Just as Kim thought she would pass out, she was pulled back from her reverie into the present, by the painful sensation of having her arm wrenched from its socket.

This time Kim did scream.

This time Kim was not sent back upstairs to lick her wounds, but was first punched across the nose so hard; she flew back into the seedy street outside. She cried out as she tried to get up, but was overcome by pain, and settled instead into lying in a heap. Her nose bleeding, her arm, twisted. No one would notice, no one would care. This was downtown Johannesburg, the place no one knew existed, the place and people that were forgotten.

Although, out from the corner of her eye, lying on her front, she thought she saw a girl. Kim thought herself delirious, but no longer cared; no one else did, why should she?

This time Kim did pass out.

Spartica Haughton reached down and rolled the girl gently onto her side, before placing her in the recovery position. She glanced back at her driver, Naugetii, and nodded her head in acknowledgement before he dialled for an ambulance.

A small flicker of movement caught her eye, and she turned in that direction, towards an old gnarled tree, which grew outside a small window. From the top of the branches, she watched as the small monkey climbed dexterously down to the bottom. In his hands he clasped a silver machine, with gold plated words on the front.

'It's all right. Your mistress is going to be fine, Luigi; proper help is on the way.' He knew this girl, he did not know why, he did; she was good, a friend

Luigi nodded, and approached before laying the small machine trustingly in Spartica's hands, and sat in wait for the help to arrive.

In downtown Johannesburg, an ambulance could be heard wailing only a few streets away, while a sixteen year old girl, fiddled and absently tapped at the keys of Kim's personal electronic diary.


	5. Rienna Sassi

OOOh another character doth appear.

Just to all those impatient Bladebreaker fans. They are on their way chapter seven. After all it wounldn't be a good fan fic without them

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, if i did there wouldn't be much point in writin a fan fic bout is because i could just make it a reality.

Chapter 5 - Rienna Sassi

Rienna was proud of her name, it was slightly mysterious and snazzy, and it rolled off the tongue with fervour – to put all words into one, it suited her 'perfectly'. So, you might say that that was a little over the top, or something only someone full of themselves might say, but then you have figured out Rienna Sassi. But, she was often quick to say, you had to say it properly; this would normally result in poor souls, becoming stuck with a name-pronouncing lesson.

Rienna would only answer her name called in one way, and one way only – it was pronounced 'sarsay', not 'sassy' or 'saysie', as was the favourite of some of the girls in her dormitory.

The dormitory was long and thin, just like the paint peeling off the walls, and the tattered curtains fluttering on the inside of the broken windows. There was no light made artificially, but candles were an option – if you could acquire a candle. Rienna always stole one from the local church, when they went for the one visit, the advent service, every year. It would not be true to say that all the girls were Christian, but it did something to help the image of Ms Bumblebottle – or Bumblebottom, as Rienna would say, behind her back of course.

There was a certain rumour going around Ms Bumblebottle's Girls' Home, which included the fact that Ms Bumble had never actually _been_ married, but was only pretending to ever have been so for her own reasons. She wanted to portray herself as an old widow, who had lost everything, and now offered the last years of her life, to watching over the girls she now cared for. Ms Bumble was quick to snap up the gossip, and had no doubt where it had all started. There was only one girl with an attitude to brave that type of talk:

Rienna Sassi.

Rienna was a sneaky and sarcastic individual, who was too loud for her own good. Such traits, as having a mouth the size of the Grand Canyon, were not wise on a girl of Rienna's line of work – or future line of work in any case. Although many of the girls even wondered how she could even manage to create a sense of irony, for she was, at times, rather dense.

You may have begun to guess, by now, that Ms Bumblebottle's Girls' Home was actually, in truth, an orphanage – and it was a world within itself. It was a dog eat dog, hunt or be hunted world, and the most popular phrase of all time was 'look after number one'. Rienna had lived in this place, and in this way, for as long as she could remember, and made quite sure that all her time and effort was put towards her well being – she believed to be neither her business, nor her duty to take care of anyone, but herself.

In other words, she was as selfish as they came, but within reason.

And so it is, at this time, when I will first introduce you to her; where she was busy telling hushed ghost stories in the gloom of the dormitory twilight, to a naïve group of young girls, which shared the beds that lay at the sides. You may have thought this to be an act, of which intended to help develop friendships by the last of the flickering advent candlelight, but Rienna had a more sinister purpose.

'…And then the jaws of the hideous beast dragged his limp and mutilated body, down the deserted streets and, into the hostile darkness of the night – the full moon a silent witness to the monstrosity, which had passed under its sickly yellow lantern…' Rienna paused abruptly, taking her head back, to watch the faces of her terrified audience, their eyes wide in horror, mouths hanging open in fearful wonderment, as they unconsciously clung to each other.

Rienna had to stop herself from breaking into hysterical laughter; the looks on their faces was gold dust – she thought about her story for a moment, before deciding to add the one affect she had be considering since she had first heard it: 'And they say that every night, when the moon is full, the werewolf hunts its next victim, and you know what? Come closer…' she waved her hand commandingly towards herself, and the girls obeyed as one, entranced by her words. 'It is also said that in the last full moon, this very building was heard to have a strange howling emitting from the deep chambers in the basement. But those who know the truth and have heard the real story, know that it is really the 'Big Black Wolf'!'

The ending gave the desired affect; a few girls flew off the bed, screamed and then hid jumped under the duvet, finding sanctuary there. While others, too terrified to speak, tumbled onto the floor, and crawled beneath the bed frames. All around a cacophony of whimpering and wailing began to grow, accompanied by the groans of the older girls, who were busy trying to sleep:

'Shut up!' 'Keep it down!' 'Shh…Ms Bummblebottle will hear!' 'Rienna is that you again!?'

Rienna smiled at her handiwork, as a large thumping sound, started from beneath the floor. 'Oh my God! It's the Big Black Wolf!' screamed a girl, who shivered, in her huddled position on the floor.

'Yeah and it's called an angry Ms Bumblebottle, armed with a broomstick. Now shut up, and go to sleep!' Grumbled one of the other girls, slightly miffed at having being woken up. Rienna shot her a look, the older girl was unintentionally comforting the young ones; she wanted the young girls as scared as possible, it made them cluster tighter together, like a herd of spooked sheep.

Ms Bumblebottom ceased her attack from the bottom floor, and threw the cracking broomstick, she had been hitting the ceiling with, into a mouldy corner. Those girls could be so rowdy, was it a crime to get a decent night's sleep around here anymore?

Right now, Rienna was planning for her beauty sleep. Her plan has worked better than she had expected, this time, and she congratulated herself with her story telling. She thought she rather deserved to rest in a double bed tonight, and hummed triumphantly out loud, as she pulled one single bed over to meet with another, halfway across the room. She grinned sadistically as she watched the curled up, wary figures of the girls settle down for the night – they would not be moving anytime soon.

She sighed in contentment, flopping onto her back, and into the rock hard mattress. She did not notice the stiffness of her joints, or even if she had she would not have cared, she was use to it. She then spent time familiarising herself with the patterns on the ceiling, where paint had been plastered on, and had not dried properly. It reminded her of a sailor, examining the map of stars that covered the black blanket of the midnight sky. She let her mind wander, and imagined herself in a comfy room. The mind room was spacious and warm; a soft fluffy carpet basked lazily on the floor, and a fire burned gently amidst the dying embers. The bed was squishy, and sunk low to accommodate her weight, the velveteen and silk material pressing reassuringly into her back…

'Rienna…Rienna…Rienna?' a voice called her back from her inner world, and pulled her back into the real one, like a sudden plunge from a steamy sauna and into an ice cold bath. She realised that one of the smaller girls was calling her attention.

'Huh? What? Yep?' Rienna replied, startled from her reverie.

'Rienna…is it true?' Asked the small girl asked hesitantly.

'What true?' She was lost, two minutes after her story, and she had already lost the plot – it was just the type of thing for Rienna to forget so quickly.

'You know…' The small girl whispered, her eyes large and round.

'Know what?' Rienna frowned, annoyed. Patience was not her virtue. That much was true.

'You know…about _it_…the…the…thing.' the girl tried desperately to explain her meaning to the other, older one. She feared to even mention what _it _was.

'_It_?' Rienna growled in an aggravated voice, she was not in the mood for guessing games.

'_You_ know…the…the…'

'For God's sake, stop whining and spit it out girl!' Rienna had lost it now; no one, but no one, disturbed Rienna Sassi, when Rienna Sassi was in non-disturb (better known as sleep) mode.

The younger girl whimpered and gulped, before mentioning, 'the 'Big Black Wolf!'' she exclaimed in an almost inaudible voice, which was evidently heard by the surrounding occupants, as mounds in duvets shook.

Taken by surprise, Rienna's eyes popped open, and she sat up abruptly. Noticing her own flustering, she then settled back down, and nonchalantly replied, 'Oh yeah, yeah…I've seen 'im with me own eyes. 'Es a big one aright, got these 'uge blood red eyes, massive paws the size of er…Ms Bumblebottom's er…what 'em posh peoples called 'em? Posteriaars or somesuch. And 'is mouth is always drippin' with drool. Yeah…that's 'im.' Rienna nodded when she was satisfied with her description of the male werewolf.

Frightened enough as she was, the girl grew more curious, as the description of the beast grew; perhaps this was past her better judgement, however. She dared to ask the great Rienna Sassi a question, as a thought flitted across her mind, 'How'd ya know it was a him?'

Rienna sat up slowly, before looking at the girl with a sideways glance. She rolled her eyes and scrunched up her nose as she answered; 'Work the grey squishy thing betwee' yer ears, and use yer imagination, kid. How'd yer think?'

The younger girl tilted her head to the side, confused; it was obvious that she had no idea what Rienna was going on about. She turned back, and lay down, and cuddled her frightened bed-buddy. Rienna was too confusing to fathom, and demanded too much effort and time to do so. Sometimes Rienna made perfect sense, and at other times she was as impossible as a riddle to solve – we already know is quite difficult. It would not be long before the new, young girls would learn that Rienna Sassi liked it that way.

Rienna plonked herself back down, and then sprawled her limbs luxuriously out on her custom made bed; it was good to have space for a night. She half smiled into the gloom of the dormitory light, before the last of the advent candle spluttered out of existence; maybe one day she would be lying in a proper four-poster…just like Annie from…er…'Annie'. For tonight she allowed a trickle of hope to drip into her soul, perhaps one day she would be free from the dormitory, and perhaps that day was closer than she thought. But until then, she had her bed fit for a dormitory queen, and her dreams of a better life, such as the dreams she was slowly drifting into now…

And the silent shapes, which shuddered under the surrounding blankets, were glad there was no full moon tonight.

Rienna's Dream 

Rienna felt the space of time crack in half, and felt the presence of a charge in the air, which caused the hairs on her neck to stand on end. A shattering silence erupted the world into muteness, and she distantly thought she had suddenly become deaf; although the ability to think was near impossible, as she found it impossible to string one thought to the next. She was standing, upside down and side to side, and then she was not entirely sure if she was alive or dead.

As quickly as the feeling had started, it ended, and once again, Rienna knew her state of being, although not whom she was. She gazed below her and saw, instead of solid ground, an endless blue – the sky. It was rich with cream coloured clouds, which floated and weaved their way through the azure horizon. A million miles below her stood the sun, a burning beacon of power and strength, and the girl was surprised to find herself able to gaze upon such rays, without blinding herself.

She frowned thoughtfully; maybe she had died and gone to heaven, although she did not remember dieing, but then she did not remember anything at all. Her age. Favourite food. Favourite day of the week. Favourite sport. Her name – or if she even ever owned one. No, all of it was gone. She was a part of limbo, where thought did not matter, but the idea of contemplation did; with this in mind, Rienna sat down on a passing cloud, and began to think in a logical manner.

She placed her head in the palm of her hand, whose connected arm rested on her knee, her legs in a crossed position. After trying for a few minutes, the lost girl frowned, as she discovered analytical thinking was not to her liking, and gave up. Perhaps she was a spontaneous type of person. Yes, that might be right.

She held up one finger to her chin, and resumed a posture of a person who was trying desperately to think of something to do out of the blue. That was, until she realised, to do something in a madcap way, you could not think about it, you just…did it. Rienna considered this then decided to do something without thinking; it seemed the right way to do this method of reaction:

She looked up into the sky.

And gasped.

Above her was the ocean; not a droplet dropped from the aquamarine ceiling, but it wobbled and splashed as dolphins played on its upside down surface. She could see further than any telescope could, and her eyes widened and she took in all the colours that filled the depths of the salty water. Guppies played within the coral reefs, and sea anemones waved and attacked everything small enough, on sight. Not that an anemone could see of course, but she did not know that – she had never seen the sea before, only heard about it. She had been told of vast masses of water, which stretched as far as the eye could see, from all the new girls that had had the fortune of coming into contact with such a thing. She became entranced by the lights that played inside its waters, and lost herself within its depths.

She liked…no loved the sea, she decided.

The lost girl reached her hands happily towards the ceiling of sea, and giggled like a small child as she dipped them into the lukewarm water. A mournful cry broke her trance, and she looked up sharply to spy a creature winging its way upwards towards her; as it approached her, she could see just how big the creature really was, and that it was not just any creature, and her mouth dropped open as she realised just quite what she was looking at.

Wings spread impressively into the sky that was the floor, long neck stretched out in the middle of flight and crying its mournful song. It was sky blue and small (in comparison) spikes adorned its back in a line. This could be none other than a dragon; she absently wandered if it was one that could breathe fire, surely not all dragons could. All she knew was that, wherever she was, she never wanted to leave. This fantasy was too good to ever leave. Maybe this was heaven, and if so, she was satisfied with it.

It swooped upwards in a striking climb, and stretched out its long, sharp talons, towards her figure. She screeched in a slight moment of fear, but her cry was lost amidst the rushing wind, as it gushed past her face in extreme speed. The dragon did not seem hostile, but being as she was trapped within its talons, she was going to put her faith in a guess towards its intentions.

She fidgeted uncomfortably in its captive hold, and nearly jumped out of her skin, as the drake spoke within her mind: _Don't struggle. I mean you no harm. _She calmed at his comforting and reassuring voice; it was silky and reptilian. Instead, she settled down and concentrated on the feeling of flying.

It was an incredible feeling; she could see nothing but the sky before them, but she did not mind, she could stay up here and soar forever. Emotions of great pride and triumph entered her system, as she let out a great 'whoop', as they continued along their journey. The clouds were cold as they touched her skin, but they were ripped like the cotton wool they were as they soared on. Oblivion was the inevitable, but that meant immortality, and immortality meant an eternity of a lifetime.

_And with eternity, comes responsibility, little one._ Explained the dragon, once again in her mind. She looked up, and tried to see the blue drake's face, confused at his comment. Recognising the burning feeling of her eyes upon him, the dragon looked down, bending his neck to look at the small girl in his clutches. _You will understand in time, don't worry about it too much just yet, little one. Ah, here we are._

They began a descent this time, towards a lone cloud, much lower than the others. It was shaped into a rough nest, the fluffy whiteness cuddling around whatever was nested inside of it.

As they touched down on the pillow of pearl, it became clear what exactly the nest contained; a selective clutch of eggs, no bigger than her fist, was snuggled within its fluffy holes, and she oohed and aahed at the marble textured colours that swished upon their surfaces. She could not resist putting out her hands, and placing one into her cloth lap, she cuddled and cradled the fragile egg.

The dragon watched her with proud delight and pleasure, and he moved his head down, to lip her fringe. She giggled happily at his attention, and moved her hand to stroke the scaly skin, which was smooth and cool beneath her touch. _Are these yours? _She managed in mind-speak.

He shook his head, before sighing and looking out into the other direction. _My family is but one human boy now, and the force, which calls us into being, makes us exist, starting from the egg. I am hoping that one of these would consent to helping me with my own family._

_You mean your mate isn't hatched yet?_ She frowned at the thought, how old was he anyway?

The dragon bared his teeth, in what could only be a smile, as he gazed upon the clutch of eggs, and the cast his almond-eyed look upon her; _she has, she's here._ He lifted his wing, and the girl was taken by surprise, as a large komodo dragon was revealed before her eyes; where had that come from? The komodo was covered in bright green scales, with patches of aqua blue showing through here and there, causing it to take on an affect of turquoise against the celestial blue sky. Its eyes seemed to be made of a pure silvery grey, and stared out at her with an honest, almost timid gaze.

_Well say hello then. _The blue dragon encouraged. For a moment the girl did not know if he meant her or the komodo, but her question was soon answered as the dragon walked towards her. It pressed its square snout into her hand, and looked up with those wide eyes, like saucers. Within those eyes, she saw worlds beyond that of the highest mountains and the greatest of the stars above. Her mind began to swim, as images of a fierce crackling fire, the powerful scent of wild rose, and the sound of clapping invaded her senses. In the distance she heard the great, blue dragon give a cry of concern, and the silky smooth head removed itself from her contact. The visions ceased.

_I am sorry, little one, I did tell her not to do such things, but she is young and does not as yet understand that time is different here. _The dragon eyed her watchfully, and the komodo stepped back to look at him with piercing, trusting eyes. Then she noticed something.

_Poor thing, she has no wings. _The dragon looked down at his small lizard companion, and made that smile again. He dipped his head, to nuzzle the back of his charge, and the komodo gave a ticklish squeak.

_No not yet, but she is not ready._

_Ready?_

_Yes, just as you are not Rienna, only when you know yourself, your true self, will you know the truth of your chosen familiar. _The dragon the stepped back alarmed as he realised a mistake, and he growled slightly menacingly in caution as he watched the girl's reaction.

Rienna? She knew that name from somewhere. Yes, she had definitely heard of it before, and if she remembered correctly it was shortly followed by the surname…Sassi…Rienna Sassi. Her eyes grew wide as she understood the meaning. Her name! Her very own name, and after all this time, it had never been mentioned throughout her time here.

A barge full of memories suddenly hit her. Of hard beds and cold nights, of mossy closets and watery food. And with the memories came an emotion; hate. She hated life, she hated those who surrounded her, and most of all she hated Ms Bumblebottom! Rienna's anger boiled over as the memories, lost for a few heavenly minutes came back to her. She did not want them, but she did not want to forget them either, and around her, the celestial skies began to melt, and the sea began to fall. The clouds dispersed like frightened and fleeting fish before her eyes.

All at once, and a little too soon, she found herself floating into nothingness, a type of endless limbo, which both scared and relieved her raging heart, and amidst the empty chaos called a slithering smooth voice; 'Sassi, my name is Sassi. Call me by my name.'

**The Dormitory, Daybreak.**

_Rienna._

_Rienna._

'Rienna, are yer listening to me? Wake up, please.' An urgent voice called her awake, and she opened her eyes to look into the kindly face of Miss Heartly. Miss Heartly had a heart shaped face, framed by the golden locks, which feel neatly around her face, the rest of her hair was tied into a tight bun, at the back of her head. Her eyes were forest green, and reflected the emotion of constant sympathy and, at the moment, desperation. She was a rather tall, but plump young woman, who looked after the girls, which surrounded her, with complete devotion.

Rienna loved Miss Heartly, as if she were an older sister. There was nothing that she would rather do with her time, than talk, and swap stories they had heard, to each other. This conversation time they spent, caused a sisterly bond to grow between the two, and Rienna could not think of this damp, miserable place without her to light the halls. Miss Heartly in return, mentioned the fact that Ms Bumblebottom's…er she meant Ms Bumblebottle's Girls' Home would suffer, without its greatest storyteller to and longest member to swell out its ranks.

According to Miss Heartly, if Rienna did not talk so much, the walls would cave in.

'What's da problem?' asked Rienna, knitting her brows into a frown, and looking up into Miss Heartly's face blearily.

'Ms Bumblebottle is calling for yer, love'

Ms Bumblebottle, why would she want to speak to her? She sighed and got up, for the entire cow Bumblebottom was, she was to obeyed, unless it was behind her back, then it was ok. Rienna walked over to the mirror, and grabbed a toothy comb from on top of the smudged, shiny metal. She dragged the cracked plastic through her knotty hair, and fixed her eyes on her reflection. Inside of the mirror she saw a stocky, broad shouldered girl, who reached to a height of five foot five. Her dark brown hair was wavy, but slightly matted, and fell choppily about her shoulders. Her eyes were those of a doe's, chocolate brown, and almost innocent, that is, until you saw the mischievous twinkle that his within their depths.

Rienna grinned and the winked at herself, before flicking her hair back and striding out of the room, Miss Heartly at her heels.

Rienna Sassi decided that she quite like herself.

**Ms Bumblebottom's…er I mean Bumblebottle's office**

It was true that Ms Bumblebottle had first set up the orphanage, as an attempt to give her greater access to money. Money was her life, and there was nothing she loved more; not even the husband she had never had, and had never had for a good reason in Rienna's mind; she was a stick insect of a woman, whose gnashing mandibles had been fixed into a sneer, ever since the age of ten. In honesty, she hated children, but right now, the war against one, Rienna Sassi, was proving to becoming a great source of entertainment for her sadistic mind.

Her white hair was like a thin fluffy cloud, which had made its home there in obvious misconception, its whole body gradually become more frail and weary as time went on, just like its owner. Her eyes missed nothing, and were sharp and cold, just as the spiky angles of her body, and the icy personality she exuded to the people around her.

Right now, she sat in her office, waiting for her arch-nemesis to arrive, at last, she would rid her little 'Home' of her once and for all.

Rienna Sassi entered the dingy office, with a slight feeling of uncertainty and foreboding. The air in here was hot and stuffy, and she felt claustrophobic to be held in such a tight space. Even so, she strode up to the desk in a confident manner, and waved her hand around the room in a royal gesture, scrunching up her nose in a sight of utter disgust.

'Such rooms should be better kept by someone with so much money.' Rienna stretched out the 'so' part, and kept her face serious as she waited for a reaction, which never came. Rienna frowned confused, her imitations of the posh formality of her criticism, were good in her opinion.

'Yes, well as that might be, I have had a…customer you might say. Asking for you.' The woman's voice was cold and slightly too much on the evil side, and Rienna felt the beginnings of weary butterflies in her stomach. 'Just a minute, _my dear_' the woman almost cackled as she floated, like a haunting, flitting ghost, out of the room.

Rienna shivered at her words; what did she mean by 'customer'? Was she going to be sold into slavery now? Was slavery allowed in Canada? Well if that were true, she was going to be out there like a shot. She knew the idea of spontaneous actions now, and glanced around the shuttered room for a way out. She spotted a dusty window, never used, a slight distance behind the office desk. Rienna doubted Ms Bumblebottle ever used the desk, but she had an idea that it might be there for image.

She lightly sprinted over to the window, at placed her hands on the cool, brass window openers, and pushed up. Nothing happened, and it was soon apparent that perhaps this window was never opened for a reason. She took a look at the seam of the window, where it connected itself to the window ledge and groaned, she may have been dense, but she knew such a glued connection could never be breached like a normal lock.

She growled and spun round, to notice the desk littered with all types of papers. It was not the papers that interested her, however, but rather the filing cabinet that was attached near the bottom of the wooden structure. She grinned inwardly, before looking around for something, which could help her in a miniature mission, and found it – a large paper clip – excellent!

She glanced up at her surroundings warily, before crouching low, and eyeing the lock, that stopped her from gaining access. It was a simple type, all she would have to do was, insert her makeshift pick, and turn it the right way. Honestly, Ms Bumblebottle should be more intense on security, and less on punishment. Inserting the custom made pick, she twisted it sharply, up and left, and was satisfied when she heard a soft clicking sound from inside the draw.

'All in the wrist.' She whispered, proudly, to herself.

Opening the drawer, Rienna's eyes came into contact with a number of files – the cow was organised. She glanced over them, searching for something she might recognise, enjoying the excitement caused by her small adventure. Her eyes zoned in to six lettered symbols; RIENNA.

Smiling curiously to herself, she grabbed the file in her hand, and lifted it up and out of the drawer. She unceremoniously tipped the folder onto the floor, and she crouched down to see what had landed at her feet.

She was rewarded with a chain necklace as her loot, and she lifted it up to the light, just as a paper, which had been floating its way down to earth, hit her lightly on the head. She pocketed the small chain, ignoring the words etched into the back of the medallion, and took interest in the piece of paper, and paused.

Rienna could not read.

Instead she let her eyes wander the page, soaking and taking in every last detail. The symbols engraved themselves into the back of her mind, and she took time to study even the picture of the moon and stars. She would copy it out later, and ask Miss Heartly to read it to her.

Rienna never got the chance.

The door was thrown open, and in entered the Home mistress, Ms Bumblebottle. She glanced at Rienna suspiciously, taking in the sight of the young girl peering over her desk, but then rolled her eyes. Rienna knew instantly something was up; Ms Bumblebottle kept jingling on the spot, in half concealed delight, and she even had a strange distorted type of smile on her greasy face. She stepped sideways into the room, to reveal her guest.

A teenage girl, around the age of sixteen walked in, her face was blank of all emotion. Inside her mind, Rienna realised that this 'customer' was not at all what she had expected. The teenage girl had long black hair, swept back into a tight ponytail; her eyes shone like two polished emeralds, but held the sharp glance of a hawk. Her skin was that to rival the moon itself, an ivory white of purist quality.

'So,' started Ms Bumblebottle, destroying the moment of Rienna's amazement, 'Let's get down to business, hmm?'

The young woman raised her brows, and asked 'You are Rienna Sassi.'

Rienna rolled her eyes; at least she had the decency to say her name right. 'And a good day ta ya too missus. Yeah I am Rienna Sassi, dat's my name, don't wear it out.' She answered, trying to be clever.

The stranger smirked slightly as she replied, 'I'm sure you will wear it out long before its expiry date in that case Rienna. Your are thirteen years of age, am I correct?'

Rienna's face nearly dropped into open awe; who did this girl think she was, barging in here and acting as though she were head of this place. No one, but no one, treated Rienna Sassi in this way, but yet, there was some ethereal commandment in this girl's aura, a great sense of charismatic energy. 'Yeah, I am…' Rienna hesitated for a moment, she wanted to imitate this girl's voice; it was so melodic 'Thirteen years of age.' She finished in a perfect imitation of the strange girl's voice.

The girl was not as surprised as Ms Bumblebottle was, at hearing the girl's voice come from Rienna's own mouth. Instead a smile twitched at the side of her mouth, and she gracefully extended her hand for Rienna to shake. 'Greetings Rienna, my name is Spartica Haughton. I am here to…take you away from this…place.' She gestured with the other hand, as Rienna shook the other in wonderment.

Ms Bumblebottle, slightly agitated from being left outside the conversation, started one again; she did not care what happened to Rienna, only that she got the money for giving her up to this Spartica figure. 'Look, I don't just let my girls walk out of here, the others…they need to live on something, and the government is tight on budget. Perhaps a donation?' the smile on her face was supposed to be that of a kindly old grandmother, but Rienna and neither the girl by the looks of it, were fooled.

However, the girl asked, 'How much is suitable?'

'Five hundred should do it.' The woman waved her hand around in a circling motion, and Rienna was surprised as the girl took out an envelope from one of the pockets in her jacket. She handed it to the old woman, and it was quickly snatched from her hands, and then preceded to open it and count the dollar bills. The envelope floated toward the ground, wavering to and fro in its descent. Out of the corner of her eye, Rienna spotted three symbols, in the order of something she recognised, but could not place 'BBA'.

Spartica turned to walk out the door, and then glanced over her shoulder at the girl who was still watching the envelope in thought. 'Come along, Sassi.'

Rienna followed the other girl through a small labyrinth of corridors, before they reached the exit. She must have had some memory to remember how to reach the front door, was the thing that passed through Rienna's mind first. And then something else:

'Where was dat money from?'

Spartica answered, without looking back at her newest charge, 'Prize money, awarded by the BBA.'

Rienna shrugged, BBA, not something she had heard of before. She had recognised the symbols on the envelope though, perhaps they had something to do with the BBA.

A few steps out the door, and Rienna came face to face with a long, black limo. 'Whoa,' she exclaimed in utter astonishment, 'Posh rides, for posh peoples, dat's you righ'?' Spartica did not reply, but allowed Naugetii to open the back doors for the girl, who was still dresses in her only clothes.

The orphan gasped at the plush covering, on the inside of the vehicle. She adjusted her eyes to the darkness of the elegant car, and in the corner she spotted a sleeping, small, huddled figure over in one corner of the seats. She was about to open her mouth, when her evolving question was cut short, as she was suddenly met by a couple of piercing, amber eyes.


	6. Fade Nuella

Chapter 6 – Fade Nuella 

The Nuellas lived on the west side of uptown Berlin, Germany. They inhabited a large town house with cream white walls, mocha tiled roof and six double-glazed and clean vast windows at the front. Their ancestors had moved in to the German capital after the First World War, and not one Nuella had immigrated out since – there was nothing more invigorating outside the city, and nowhere else they would rather go. Besides, the Nuellas had made most, if not all of their family fortune in Berlin.

Berlin was, and still is, a busy city, and the pace was that of a speeding cheetah, not to mention it was structured like one; the industry gave it the strength and back up it needed to run on, and by the evening it was exhausted, lacking anymore stamina, and shut down for the night. Although, all those who and stayed in Berlin long enough, knew that it never truly slept.

Sharky Nuella, Torbey Nuella's favourite, and in fact only, niece, had claimed that Berlin was built as a place of 'sombre memories and an inevitably bright future,' it was 'so excited about the world' therefore it could 'never stay still, like an Andrex puppy, but with less interest in toilet paper.'

Sharky's cousin, Fade, had been confused by her words, but had nodded her head before trying a reply that she was 'quite fed up with the magnolia coloured toilet paper in all the bathrooms,' and wished 'there was more experimenting with more adventurous colours – such as pink.'

Sharky had raised an eyebrow at that, and then had a private talk with the housekeeper, later on.

Sharky Nuella often liked to think of herself, as a 'girl with an attitude'; unfortunately, this 'attitude' only came out during her performances on stage and within the words of her songs, she was a real softy at heart. She had blue curly hair, which she had created little plaits out of, and then tied them at the back of her head – she wished to bring out a type of punk look, but the bangs which curled into her face softened it immediately and immensely. Her eyes were that of a sea green, and held all of the gentleness of a slow chopping ocean, and showed a compassion, which belied her hard exterior. However, she only let those closest to her, such as her cousin Fade get to know that side of her. She was a rock star – she had an image and reputation to uphold.

Sadly, being a famous rock star, called you out to go on tour now and then. Fade had wanted her cousin to stay at home and play games with her, but Sharky was at the beck and call of her producers, and could not afford the time to 'play barbies'. Fade had grumbled at that, not because of the insult to her immaturity (which she missed), but because she had not had good dealings with barbies in the past. Of course, she had been happy enough to play with them when she was about six, but at that age she was not an experienced hairdresser. The mixing of Fade, scissors and barbie hair is a dangerous combination, and a disaster waiting to happen. The result is best left to the imagination.

At this time, Fade inwardly wept as she heard the sounds of the minivan rumbling away from the drive; she had refused to say goodbye properly to Sharky, a personal punishment, for not staying with a little cousin you though of as a sister. Now she was beginning to feel the twinges of regret…what if Sharky was in a mood with her next time she saw her? What if she did not talk to her? What then? The one person she could speak to about anything in the world, and she would not be there, and no…it was too upsetting to think about it. Fade pushed it to the back of her mind, and brought her optimism to the forefront.

It would be wrong to say that Fade was spoilt, but it might be correct to say she was privileged. The definition of spoilt, is to be lavishly spent on with love and money, by those who love you. The definition of Fade's case was that she could have what she wanted, within reason and agreement from her father, but she did not have the love she so desperately wanted and needed from her father. Since her mother had died, Fade had felt alone in the world, and even Sharky's closeness, could not fill the whole in her heart which had been made by her mother's passing.

For all the bright, radiating beacon of feel-good attitude that Fade possessed, she felt utterly and terribly alone.

Fade's mother was everything to her; she was a parent, best friend and mentor. She would take Fade to school, and then drive her home at the end of the day; she would play, sing and read with her daughter, and teach and pass on every piece of wisdom she had to offer. Reading times were Fade's favourite times, and would normally take place at the end of a long day; the stories were filled with mythical beasts, and terrified damsels, but Fade always enjoyed the tales of great warrior maidens the most. Most endings left her in a thoughtful mood, which soon changed to dream-filled sleep, but as Fade grew older, she found it harder to sleep; No one was there to kiss her forehead goodnight, and no one was there to knock to the gremlin in her closet, and tell him that he was not to come out until morning.

Urlike Nuella had died of cancer at the age of forty-two, and had left behind a daughter who would continue to unfold her legacy; not that Urlike had known that when she had died, nor did Fade know it at this precise moment in time. In fact, a rather compelling and tense match of beyblade had enraptured her at this precise moment in time.

Now normally, Fade was not into to watching such male dominated sports; she preferred watching ballet and horse riding competitions, as a member to both types of clubs. She was not the best ballerina in the world, that much was true, but she did love the dancing, she even went so far as to begging her father to watch 'Swan Lake' for her eleventh, which was her last, birthday. She was also a member to the local horse riding school, which had acquired the name 'Ponyklub' – meaning 'Pony club'. Although, she was not particularly horse mad, but her father had thought it a good idea to give his daughter such lessons, which just goes to show that not all fathers know their daughters.

Fade was attempting a headstand, leaning against the end of her bed for support. She was successful so far, but was beginning to feel the symptoms of too much blood in her head, and the television screen was beginning to blend out of focus, and her bangs were starting to fall annoyingly into her face. She lowered herself, unceremoniously, to the floor, and then blew the agitating pieces of hair out of her face for the last time. She then circled herself round on her knees, to return to the beyblade match on her pink television, legs straight out in front of her, like a small child.

Fade Nuella was an angelic creature; she had naturally highlighted, hay coloured, blond hair, which draped down her back like a silk curtain, and intense blue eyes, which were flecked by gold. Her face was heart shaped, and her nose slightly upturned in a manner of cuteness. She was of average height for her age, around five foot four, and she was dressed in a pair of denim peddle pushers and a bright pink shirt, with 'pink lady' written on the back. Her ears were pierced at the bottom of the lobe, and held two dew drop, sky blue stone earrings. Freckles splashed her rosy cheeks and across her nose, and only added to the affect of her innocence. And I tell you, that there was only one word that anybody could use to describe her nature – naive.

Fade's eyes grew wide, as the trapped beast within one of the blades was called forth. It stretched out its neck and screeched triumphantly about its freedom; it was no longer bound to that ethereal plane it had been tied to for so long. In the back of her mind, Fade felt a presence of mind that told her that warm tears trickled down her face, as she felt the heart-rending wail of relief from the giant turtle that towered out of the green blade. Within her mind, an agonising pain seared across her temples, and she cried out, before delving her head into her hands in desperation. She cried mournfully, and reached up, to wrap her hand around the television remote that lay despondently on her duvet.

Switching the off button, Fade sat back, slouching heavily against the end of the bed, her breath coming in small sharp gasps. She had not realised that she could feel empathy from just watching television, or that she could empathy for anything other than a human. This was knew, this was frightening.

She gulped the last catches of breath, before returning to her upright position, crossing her legs, and closing her eyes; Sharky had told her that meditating was the best choice of action when it came to psychic forces – it calmed your mind, and slowed your heart, and, if done right, could help you to do the impossible. Fade knew such things Sharky was talking about, would be that of astral projection, or mind reading, but Fade was not in to that type of thing – at least not yet.

Fade Nuella was an emphatic; this meant she could feel the emotions of those around her, without even having to greet them, touch them, or even look upon their face. It offered her the ability to understand that particular person's thoughts, if she wished to know. With her father – she never had to guess or to try to understand, it was always the same; shame.

Torbey Nuella was a sharp man, who ran a tight slip. He was ferocious and questioning with his own advisors, and ruled his dominion of business like a ruthless tyrant. Some had wondered how Urlike could have ever married such a man, but Urlike would only smile, shake her head and claim that 'we all change, it is only natural'. Whether this meant she had changed in her life, or he had, no one knew, but it was best not to ask any further – what the Nuellas did, was their business. Except, perhaps it is within our interest that we look into what the Nuellas were doing for business this day – for this day was to be a beginning of a new era for one girl in particular.

'Miss Nuella?' The maid stuck her head around the door, and looked in on the small girl with a gentle expression. A flicker of concern crossed her face, as she gazed upon the hunched figure with the television remote in the palms of her hands; 'Miss Nuella? Are you all right Miss?' she questioned with a wavering voice.

'Uh huh.' Came Fade's uncertain reply. 'I'll be all right in a minute Martha, just give me a second please. Was there something you wanted?' Fade looked up from the remote and her hands, and blearily stared at Martha the maid, a slight frown etched on her face, her eyebrows drawn down from her aching temples.

Martha stepped in around the white-painted door, and stood just in front of it. 'Your father has requested your presence, young miss.' She informed her. 'I think he may be going off on a business trip again.' Her voice was quiet and sympathetic, she, herself, thought that Herr (N/A: Herr means Mr in German) Nuella spent too little time with his daughter than he should – it was almost neglect – almost.

Fade sighed and stood, placing the remote on top of her pink television, she straightened herself and then leant back to crack her back, she then looked at Martha before lowering her eyes to the floor; 'And I _know _you're right. I'll be down in a minute Martha, thank you.'

Martha left when she realised her dismissal; the young miss could get herself ready. Martha herself went to get some bath salts to put in a future bath, and grabbed a box of tissues. There was bound to be tears in the near future – there always was.

Torbey Nuella's Office – still in the family town house 

'…What do you mean they're not ready?…I told you on Thursday that they were to be on my desk by Monday…Well you better _know_ so, not hope so…by tomorrow…yes…and they better be on time, Team Alpha is now ready for their last year of training, and then they'll be on to the World Tournament…Yes, of course you will, and if you don't I am quite capable of informing Mr Balkov of your failure, and Mr Balkov does not look on failure with understanding, do I make myself clear?…Good. Good evening Mr Anomy.'

Mr Torbey Nuella, father of Miss Fade Nuella, and husband of the late Mrs Urlike Nuella, ferociously pressed the end call button on his mobile, and ground his teeth – the nerve of some people (namely Mr Anomy). He turned towards the window and folded his big set arms, to look out at the street below. A couple of teenagers kicked a worn football across the street and back again, a dog sniffed a hydrant, and lady sneezed randomly as she walked back home. So lost in his enraged reverie, was Mr Nuella, that he failed to notice the door had opened, and someone had walked in.

The slender, rather fragile looking, girl walked in. Her hair reached to her mid back, and large blue eyes, like wet sapphires, were cast downwards in a show of submission. If there was one thing Fade hated more than her father going away, it was being told by him that he was going away, because it usually meant having to listen to his 'reasons' for leaving. She already knew why.

Mr Torbey Nuella had always wanted a son, and had planned on a second child after being told of Fade's gender. There was a slightly subtle reason to calling his daughter such an odd name; he had hoped that, in a way, she would slowly 'fade' into the background after he had gotten the son he wanted. He was old fashioned, and preferred to have things done traditionally – when he died, all of his wealth would be passed to his son, and by that time, his eldest sibling, the daughter, would be married off to some other rich money making tycoon – she was pretty enough. Unfortunately, for Mr Nuella, things had not quite turned out that way; soon after Fade's birth, Urlike had become contaminated by cancer, and it was actually a miracle she had lasted as long as she had – the doctors could do nothing.

Torbey Nuella had, in a way, brought himself to blame his own daughter for Urlike's death. He did not treat Fade badly, just refused to acknowledge her presence most of the time. His whole demeanour had become ice cold, and unrelenting; he was like a tiger caged for a very long time, and ready to pounce on anything that got within range. It was evident to anyone who had known Torbey in his younger years, that he missed his late wife very much, and was terribly upset by her passing.

Fade shuffled herself slowly towards the beech wood desk, finding something extremely interesting on her shoes to look at – perhaps that piece of glitter on her shoelace, which she had not noticed before – at any rate, she was stepping towards the one person she really did not want to see right now; if only their meetings were not so formal. As she neared, she glanced up to find that the computer chair was devoid of human life, but that the computer monitor was switched on, and currently running.

Upon the screen was a picture of an odd looking wolf.

Now Fade was used to seeing pictures of strange beasts, but nothing quite outdid this one; it was beautiful, a small pair of pearl coloured wings sprouted from its shoulder blades, and contrasted well with the smooth white fur. Its eyes shone bright, fierce, silver, and the sunshine that filtered through the window was that of an angelic jet of light, causing the creature to look more ethereal than it already was. Fade did not quite know how to react; it took her breath away.

She tugged her eyes away from the screen; to focus them on her father's turned back. His shoulders shook, and it could have been mistaken for crying, had Fade not felt the empathy of anger. Nervously she coughed to get his attention, and then resumed an innocent posture; she should not have been looking at that screen.

The man by the window swivelled round at the small sound, and spoke as he turned; 'Ms Carthi, I said I was not to be disturbed. I…oh.' He stopped mid-sentence to take in his daughter, standing there looking as if she were about to be condemned. He sighed, and frowned, and let a small smile climb onto his features; in truth he did not hate is daughter, in fact, he missed her slightly at times, to be honest it was the optimism she exuded that he needed most days, but he just could not bare to look upon her for more than a minute; his shame.

She looked up at him with her eyes, wide as the ocean, always on the near verge of tears – it may have been the light, but the twang of sympathy still resounded through his angry heart. Her hands were clasped behind her back, where she wrung them nervously, and she tipped lightly back and forth on her heels, a sign of an uncomfortable child.

'You called for me father?' she asked formally, quietly, eyes casting themselves to her feet.

'Er…yes I did.' The nervousness of meeting his daughter was a strange sight to see, for Mr Torbey Nuella was a proud and confident, if rather cold, sort of man. 'I'm going away again my angel; Team Alpha has come up with an emergency, and they need me to be there.'

She did not answer, just looked up at him with eyes that were silently pleading, but stripped of all hope. An emergency? It was always an emergency; it felt as though he found it was an emergency to get as far away from her, as quickly as possible.

'It will only be a couple of weeks, sweet pea.' Why did she have to look at him like that? As accepting and passive has a lowly cowherd. Why was she never angry with him, like a normal daughter would be, should be? He would rather screaming, kicking, slapping, hitting, anything, than this dam that was about to break any minute.

Instead of crying like he had expected, however, she braved a smile, it was a watery smile, but a smile nonetheless. Slowly she reached up and hugged him; why he did not know, and actually, neither did she. Perhaps she had gotten used to the idea of her father leaving her, to go away on business – it brought in a lot of money after all. He returned the hug, somewhat hesitantly, the kissed her forehead, before saying, 'We'll leave for the airport in an hour, all right my angel?' It was not a question for her to answer, but rather a type of temporary farewell, as he walked out of the room, back straight – hoping no one had seen the affection he had just returned for his daughter.

Fade watched him walk out, and let out a breath she had been holding in an exasperated way. The affect blew a tendril out of her eyes, which she crossed as she watched its decent up her forehead. The worst part was yet to come, but at least she had heard it from the horse's mouth – he was going away again, that was a certainty now.

She was about to follow suit, out of the room, to get something to eat before the drive to the Berlin airport, when she stopped. A compelling feeling filled her veins, and she turned to scuttle back over to her father's desk. This time though, she did not look at the screen, but rather looked down at the strewn papers and files across his desk. Amidst the organised chaos, was a clear plastic wallet. Curious Fade looked into the sheath of plastic, took it gently into her hands, and slid the contents into her open palm. She looked around for any sign spying eyes, and then returned to the treasure that lay in her palm, and her mouth formed a large 'o' when she realised what exactly she had gotten hold of; a beyblade.

It was baby blue, and dusky pink; the sharp edges cut into the soft skin of her palm, as her fingers curled around its rim. Snuggled within the middle, was something she had only seen on television – a bitbeast. She concentrated on looking at the small spiritual creature; the wolf, the wolf she had seen, and was still seeing on the computer screen. Was that really trapped in this small piece of metal and plastic? It just seemed so scandalous, for such a grand creature to be kept in such a small and insignificant toy.

The sound of footsteps on hollow approaching, brought her out of her thoughtful trance, and out of spontaneous thought, and panic, she pocketed the blade. Crouching low over the ground, she took out one of her earrings and let it drop to the floor.

'Are you coming or not?' Grumbled Mr Nuella as he watched his daughter scramble on the floor, Ms Carthi wants to feed you before our ride to the airport.

'Sorry father, my earring fell out, I probably didn't tie the catch tight enough.' She plucked the sapphire stone up, with a long finger nailed hand, and smiled for him as she put it back on. She then walked back out the door, hurrying slightly, noticing how her father strode back towards his desk.

Inside the home office, Torbey Nuella shuffled some of the papers into a type of order, then went to switch off his screen, smiling sadly at the research he done on his dead wife's bitbeast. He had stopped blading himself, shortly after her death. As an afterthought, he picked up the plastic wallet on his desk, and slid it in between the other files under his arm.

Outside, Fade slowly skulked away to Ms Carthi in the kitchen. She paused, as she suddenly remembered something, and placed her hand over mouth as she realised her mistake.

Her earrings did not have a tightening catch.

The Airport – The Food Court 

Me Torbey Nuella bent down, so that his daughter could reach up and put her arms around his neck; she was such a sweet girl. She kissed his cheek, and he did likewise, before letting her go, she dropped heavily onto the ground, where her feet had been dangling down, from being lifted into his hug. 'See you my angel.' Were his only words as he turned around, and walked out of her life once again.

Only when her father had rounded the corner, and out of sight, was when Fade let the tears fall. They spilled down, like small silver crystals, a flowing river of regret, sorrow and unknown guilt. Why could he never say it? Why could he just not say 'I love you'? She sobbed, heart wrenching, body racking sobs, the type that ended in a spluttering cough, because breath did not matter, only the emotion that was welling up inside of you and spilling over.

All around, people ignored and walked on by, too engrossed by their business for that day, to notice the small fragile figure of the blonde eleven year old. She was as her name suggested, she was slowly and silently fading away into nothing. And why would they care anyway? How could she blame her father for finding her a shameful creature? He was right, she had never heard him say that he was disappointed in her, but he was right in his feelings – she knew. She was his shame.

Fade closed in on herself, she let her body slowly sink to the ground, which may have been quite dramatic if this were a film, but it is not, it is a fanfic. At any rate, she felt like a soul had died, and she wanted to die, she tried to die, but her will was not strong enough, and nor was it her own. Distantly, outside of her mind, she felt a strong embrace pick her up, and she felt as though she was floating. Skimming above the ground, curled up tight, but still floating towards her destination – wherever that was – it was almost as if she were being carried…

Fade scrunched her eyes tightly together, whoever the stranger was, she did not want to see them, they might be dangerous, and anyway, she was humiliated to have been plucked from the ground in her distressed state. Now she thought about it, as the tears ceased and dried on her face, it was rather embarrassing at having being so melodramatic in front of all those people.

Wait…the driver…she had to get back to the car; she had to get back home. She opened her eyes, to find that no one was paying any attention to her at all, but that she was in a completely different place in the food court; had she walked herself here? It seemed unlikely, but perhaps her legs had decided that stretching themselves was a good idea. She looked down at them, and smiled slightly as she rubbed them with fondness, and looked upon them with a new light – she liked her legs now, they did things on their own. Magic perhaps?

Fade eyed her nails with a wary look, perhaps she should cut them soon; they were looking a bit long and…'Hey ya!'

Fade screamed and fell of the bench she was sitting on, falling, bottom first, onto the clean tile floor. She had not expected a face to be shoved so close to hers, in such a fast way. She looked up, to see if it had actually been someone's face, or something else, and she saw a short, stout looking girl staring down at her, teeth bared in a wolfish grin. 'Scared ya did I? Don't ya worry girly, everyone's scared o' the great Rienna Sassi, when they first meet me.'

'Yes everyone except me, 'oh great Rienna', or did you forget that?' Rienna growled, but did not turn to look at the owner of the voice, which had answered her back so quickly.

The Rienna girl frowned at having been put down, but soon concentrated on the girl at her feet again; 'You Fade Nuella?' Her voice was brisk, harsh, and lightly accented by a Canadian tone. Although, she had spoken Fade's name in a different voice, it was certainly not been the voice she had spoken with before – it had almost sounded like it had a soft Russian accent for a moment. Fade had come into many different dialects and accents during her time at school, so many children from different places attended there.

'Yes…Yes…I…I…' her voice caught in her throat, as she noticed another girl push Rienna out of the way, it was not the fact that she had long hair that went down to her ankles, or the fierce amber eyes, or the sharp teeth that came over her bottom lip, but the actual fact that she was a neko that made her suddenly so quiet.

'Out the way Sassi, you're scaring her.' She growled and elbowed the younger girl out of the way, to stand before Fade. She smiled slightly, her mouth twitching to the side, only one of her teeth poking out. 'What's the matter? Cat caught your tongue?'

The neko narrowed her eyes watchfully.

Fade gaped open-mouthed.

Rienna sighed exasperatedly, before faking a yawn; 'dat has go' to be the lames' remark I 'ave ever 'eard. I mean I know yer civilisation is in some type of anarchic depressio', but you could at least have some type o' good wit.'

The neko slid her amber eyes to the side, to look at Rienna in a menacing way. 'And you have got to stop talking with such big words, it doesn't impress anybody. 'Anarchic depression', I'm surprised you ever heard of such a thing.'

'Ters a lot to be learnt, ya just 'ave to liste'. Rienna inspected her nails, which were cracked and uneven, upon their nimble fingers.

Realising that Rienna was not going to pass anymore 'words of wisdom' onto that statement, the neko gave up and took interest in Fade, once again. She offered a hand and spoke, as Fade accepted and hauled her up. 'My name is Dove Rikasha, you can call me Dove though, just don't call me nicknames, I don't like them – especially not Rienna's personal favourite…'

''Umpty Dumpty…sat on a wall.' Rienna began to recite, teasing her companion. Dove chose to ignore it, although Fade began to feel the twinges of agitation rising from the teenage neko-jinn.

Fade just smiled at Dove in a hesitant and nervous way, her eyes looking anywhere, but into the neko's. This meeting frightened her; she was always taught that nekos were clever and sneaky, and were not to be trusted. Rienna picked up on the train of thought, seeing the discomfort of the young girl. 'What's wrong, kid?'

The blonde girl answered the Canadian, and looked at her with worried eyes. 'My father told me never to speak to neko-jinns.' She answered, her voice barely an inaudible whisper.

Dove, slightly riled by this comment, spoke up with a smirk on her face. 'Didn't your daddy ever tell you, not to talk to strangers then?'

Rienna snorted at this, clearly amused. 'Dat was a good one 'umpty. You ave my blessings with dat.'

'I'm so very glad I've earned your approval, Rienna.' Drawled Dove, evidently not, voice dripping sarcasm, raising one eyebrow to finish the affect. She then returned her attention to the girl, in front of her and still holding her hand, who now studied her curiously. She dropped the small hand and then eyed the young girl back closely.

After a few moments, the silence was broken by the sound of Rienna's rumbling stomach. 'Looks like it's eatin' time alreaday.' She explained to the look on Fade's face, with a small, friendly smile.

'It's always eating time for you Sassi!' Dove exclaimed, exasperated.

'The stomach never lies.' Rienna shot back.

'Yes, but unfortunately the mouth does…often.' Replied the neko-jinn coolly, her eyes turning to look into Rienna's.

'Ah, but who mentioned the mouth, my dear Humpty? I…'

'What's this? Who's this?' Inquired a small voice from just below Fade's right shoulder. She turned to look at the person who had joined the madhouse group, and came face to face – or rather she had to look down a few inches – with another teenage girl. She had short, choppily cut hair, to her shoulders, which was the colour if autumn leaves. It framed intelligent blue eyes, which were as pure as water crystals, but held all the ferocity of an angry sea. This intensified the frown that the girl had across her face, drawing her eyebrows together. The small girl's arm was attached to a splint, that had been placed in a white sling, which was currently wound and secured around her neck.

'You Lugen!' Greeted Rienna.

'This is Fade Nuella, whom Spartica Haughton told us about.' Offered Dove.

Kim raised an eyebrow questionably at the girl, then stuck out her hand for her to shake, it was highly tanned, but the fingers were flexible, thin and spindly; 'I'm Kim, nice to meet you.'

Fade accepted wide eyed, a little taken aback by all this; she had never had friends before, not ones outside the family anyway, what did all these girls want with her? Would they be friendly towards her? She hoped so, she so wanted a friend of some sort, someone she could go to talk to, the closest she had come to a friend was Sharky, but Sharky was family.

The biggest shock of the day, however, was yet to come; 'is nobody going to introduce Luigi? Or does Luigi not matter? Or is this a female conversation? Or does Luigi not want to know?' A small smile began to stretch across Kim's face as the small bitbeast climbed out of her backpack, and onto her shoulder, watching Fade with curious, squinty eyes. Fade gaped at the marmoset, her own eyes wide with awe – she was not frightened, just in frozen wonderment; for some reason Fade was never afraid of odd things that she came across in her life; perhaps it was the fact that she was always playing with the fairy queen down the bottom of her garden, or best friends with the goblin under her bead – either way, it was Fade who first offered her hand for Luigi to take.

The small monkey accepted politely, but bared his teeth is what appeared to be a toothy grin, as the girl's mouth remained open. She reached up to stroke the silky soft fur of the marmoset, and Luigi purred in a cat-like affect to the attention.

Rienna rolled her eyes at the 'cuteness' of it all; she was not one who believed in all things happy and butterflies. 'Well, introductions aside, you think we can go catch some food with our mouth, and not flies?' She questioned Rienna's gaping mouth, Dove nodded in agreement, which had been a rarity to see between the two of them so far.

Kim swivelled on her heels, to point in a certain direction, as if she were leading the pack of them. 'That way, I saw an electronic menu for these restaurants, apparently it can tell us about all the types of restaurants in this area.' She waved her hand around in a circular motion, in the air in front of her, to express the 'area', namely the food court.

A snort was heard from Rienna, which received a couple of stares from her other companions, and a half smile of amusement from Fade – these girls were fun to be around, even if what they were talking about seemed a little over her head. 'I ain't gonna use some damn computer thingy. We ca' jus' choose using our commo' sense.'

'Common sense? I wasn't aware you owned any Rienna? What type are _you_ talking about, cuz I'm sure it's not what I'm thinking.' Kim replied, annoyed that Rienna would not follow her. Fade realised that none of these girls was really any leader of this group of any kind, in fact they didn't seem to like each other very much; but all Fade felt from her empathy was a twinge of amusement that linked all the three girls together, as if they enjoyed teasing each other senseless.

Rienna tapped the side of her nose. ''If in doubt, follow yer nose' – dat's wha' Miss 'eartly use to say anyways.' Fade was sure that the voice she had pronounced the saying with was, once again, not something that actually belonged to Rienna, it was too light and airy.

As Rienna set off in a particular direction, sniffing in an animated way, in a perfect impression of a hound dog, both Kim and Dove raised their eyes to the heavens in a gesture of exasperation, then followed.

'Lord love a duck!' Exclaimed Dove.

'Here we go.' Sighed Kim.

'Hey wait!' Cried Fade.

The others stopped to look over their shoulders, at the small blonde, already a good few metres ahead. She jogged gently to catch up with the nearest, which happened to be Kim. 'I know I've only just met you, but I…can I join you? For now? I really should contact Ms Carthi, but I just met you and, I don't want you to go. You seem so friendly and…'

'Slow down girl! Your going to have a heart attack in a minute if you're not careful.' Dove strode forwards and lay a hand on Fade's shoulder, ignoring the girl's flinch as she wrapped her hand in the pink material of Fade's t-shirt. 'You're gonna come with us anyway, we didn't say you shouldn't come. In fact Spartica suggested it.' The other two girls nodded in agreement, and Fade let herself be tugged in the direction of Rienna's lead, by Dove; there was no point struggling, firstly she didn't want to resist coming with the group, and secondly the neko-jinn was much stronger than she first appeared.

Pizza Hut! Well, at least a small cafeteria of it in the Food Court 

By the time the girls were queuing for their food, it had suddenly occurred to Fade, that she did not know anything about this Spartica character. Who was she? Why did these girls know her? And what was she to them? She voiced this query to Kim, who was busily rubbing her arm at the time, as she paused in pushing her tray, further along the queue.

'She picked us up; all of us. I don't really know much about her myself, but she seems nice enough. Just don't expect any long conversations with her, she's not really a people person; in fact the longest conversation she's had with anybody today is with Luigi, and that was only about two sentences. You'll like her when you meet her, I'm sure, and she appears to be quite rich, so maybe appearances can be deceptive, but I've talked with the others and, like me, they have nowhere else to go; so we're taking out chances.' Kim pursed her lips, and allowed Luigi to take a look at the menu options from a view on her shoulder, which was not very high. Fade had been surprised that no authorities had made a fuss about there being an animal in the middle of the airport, but did not wished to bring it up.

She stood behind Rienna, as she made the group's choices of meal; 'Two pepperoni, five hawaiians and three meat feasts, please.' Ordered the loud voiced girl, and grinned at the large selection, while Kim and Dove rolled their eyes. Fade frowned as she wondered if the woman serving, would understand what Rienna had actually said.

The woman shook her head confused and slightly mortified that she did not understand her customer. As politely as she could, she told Rienna, 'Es tut ich Leid, aber ich verstehe nicht, was Sie sagen' – _'I'm sorry, but I do not understand what you are saying.'_

Fade listened, and understood perfectly, she then tugged lightly on Rienna's ear to get her attention to listen. Rienna bent down slightly, and let the words that Fade spoke, sink into her memory. She then smiled, nodded, and turned to grin at the serving woman. 'Zwei pepperoni, fünf Hawaiianer und drei Fleischfestmähler bitte.' – '_Two pepperoni, five hawaiians and three meat feasts, please.' _Fade's voice came from Rienna's mouth, and Fade stepped back, as she realised the Rienna had perfectly mimicked her – so that was what she had been doing – of course!

The woman looked relieved, and nodded, smiling happily as she trotted off to get the order. It was Dove's time to be confused, she knew all about Rienna's mimicking ability, but she had not known that she could make a voice seem louder – a useful trait to have, to be sure. 'I knew that you could copy someone else's voice Rienna, but I thought you had to abide by the laws of having to imitate exact tone and pronunciation…how did you make her voice seem louder?'

Kim was the one to answer, her own voice haughty with intelligent delight, eyes gleaming with inspiration. 'Perhaps after all this time of using her ability to mimic, she had learnt to amplify what she hears.' She explained smugly.

Dove smiled as a thought crossed her mind; 'Yeah, well then, let's just hope that she doesn't ever hear the sound of Cornucopia. It could be heaven for her taste buds, but a little disastrous for her figure.' Cornucopia is also known as the 'Horn of Plenty', whoever sounded the horn would have gifts of food rain down upon them from heaven, gifts from the divine.

'Cornuwhata?' Fade questioned the witty remark. Rienna shook her head, she did not know either; it was sad really, such a good comment to fall on such deaf ears.

The girls' attentions returned to the counter, as the serving woman waddled up to the counter with their custom ordered food. She smiled warmly, gained access to the metal till upon the marble counter, and then asked politely for the money.

Rienna turned and looked at Fade again with a rather hopeful glance, she was illiterate and unable to understand currency very well. Fade smiled as her heart was touched, she was needed? A sudden thought flickered across her mind, and though she kept her face passive of any cruel outward emotion, inwardly she was grinning is a slightly sadistic way. She took out her elegant silk purse from her pocket, undid the clasp, took out some German marks, and gave them to Rienna. She also whispered some German words in her ear.

Rienna grinned, turned back to the serving woman and said in Fade's voice, 'Hier gehen Sie, vielen Dank, bin ich ein Elf.' – _'Here you go, thank you, I am a pixie.'_

From across the room a teenager, of about sixteen and with two-toned hair, opened his eyes and stared at the four girls huddled around the till. His mahogany eyes narrowed slightly as he took them in, and his eyebrows came down in a form across his forehead. A pixie…right. Ignoring the immature girls again, that were busily paying for their food to an extremely amused staff, he resumed his arms crossed, eyes closed position, as he once again listened to the buzzing chatter of his former and now regrouping team.

Dove offered to carry the tray to the table, and so let Rienna and Kim take the lead, to try and find one – they had decided to settle for one, next to a group of five boys, and one old, but rather optimistic old man. She watched Fade from the corner of her eyes, and sighed slowly as the girl started to walk ahead. She drew her back again and forced her to look into her piercing amber eyes. 'It was obviously a good joke you pulled back there, but you're lucky Rienna is too dense to notice that the staff found her German speaking rather odd and questionable. I like you, you're gonna be fun to be around, which is why I'm going to warn you…don't let her ever find out what you did back there.' Fade nodded slightly frightened by the warning, but was warmed by the smile that lit Dove's face; she was trying to be friendly. 'Don't worry,' explained Dove, 'she wouldn't do much, just give you the silent treatment.'

Dove strode towards the chosen table; Fade trotted behind, and watched as a few serving women followed, carrying the rest of the order. What you thought that Dove could carry ten pizzas and four drinks all on her own did you? I think you're forgetting that the girl is rather accident-prone. Which brings me to the point, that she managed to spill all the cokes before they even reached the table. Dove growled, and Fade kindly dipped to pick up the fallen soft drinks, when a gentle, but commanding hand took hers and pulled her back up.

Fade came face to face with a girl within her mid-teens, around sixteen. She had long dark hair, which shimmered midnight, and startling green eyes. Her face was not happy and smiling, but neither was it very stern, it was just a slightly questioning look, as she curiously looked Fade over. The teen tilted her head and shook the small hand in hers with optimum grace and gentleness, 'Hello Fade, I am Spartica Haughton.'

Fade nodded, her head spinning in wonderment, Spartica was beautiful, and, by the way the others acted around her, she was evidently the leader of this group at the moment. That was when Fade actually _looked _at the group in a whole; they were a motley crew, a neko-jinn who seemed so strong, yet so clumsy; a very small girl with a monkey on her shoulder, intelligent, but rather arrogant; Rienna who had no idea what she was saying most of the time, and whose eating habits had much to be desire; and last, but not least, Spartica, mysterious and distant. Perhaps she belonged here after all, maybe here, she would be accepted. She had a very sudden thought, which horrified her.

'Don't worry,' Spartica told her, reading her expression. 'I have informed Ms Carthi of your situation, you will join us now.' And that was it. No explanation, no mobile to call the housekeeper for herself to confirm the idea – Spartica's words were law, and Fade surprised herself by accepting them, these were the words of a stranger she had met only two minutes before.

She cast her eyes over to the table, which Spartica had her back to, and concentrated on looking at the table's occupants; she had seem them before, but where? A small boy tapped on his laptop as he chatted with a blonde boy, which appeared to be on some type of sugar high. Another teenager, with a cap slanted on his head, pigged on his food, and sweeping his finger over the plate to lick up the last of the crumbs, licking his lips as he went. Another neko-jinn! Twice in one day was a lot for Fade, as never having seen even one of the race before today, he laughed at his companions efforts to clean his plate. The old man she had seen before, with his hat on the table, and walking stick leaning against his seat. Lastly, a two-toned haired boy, whose eyes were closed at the moment, but in using her empathy, she could feel his agitation at being in such a place, although she could also feel his intensive listening and extreme awareness, to his surroundings.

The whine of Rienna brought her back to her own situation, and she looked at the older girl with concern, before realising that she was complaining about something so very stupid. 'I wan' salt! I deman' salt!' Exclaimed Rienna rudely to the rest of her team.

Spartica stopped on whatever secret thoughts she had concentrated on inwardly, and looked at Rienna with a flicker of impatience, but as soon as it was there, it was gone, and instead of reprimanding the girl, she leaned back in her chair, and asked the two-toned hair teen: 'Can we borrow your salt, please?'

Annoyance flashed across his features, but nonetheless he reached for the salt in the middle of his table, and handed it to the girl behind him. Neither even looked at each other, but she took the salt he offered over his to hers

'Thank you.' Said Spartica.

'Whatever.' Said Kai.


	7. Muffins and Meetings

Yay the next Chapter of my bessie mate Mimi-chans story. Brought to you by me!

Dissclaimer: We don't own Beyblade-sobs-

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Chapter 7 – Meetings 

An extraction taken from the book, 'A Bit of a Quote', by Dr. P.T. Haughton:

'**Wisdom and intelligence can be useless attributes when attending a meeting; people often forget to approach a topic with reasoning, to come to a logical and obtainable solution. Remember that you should try to agree on at least one subject by the time the meeting is over, even if it is just to decide who exits the door first.' Draciel.**

'Miss Rienna, I really must protest; sitting in that position, in a car, is a recipe for disaster!' Naugetii eyed the adolescent from where he sat in the driver's seat; normally, Spartica would be in the passenger seat, but Rienna had been adamant, that she be allowed to ride upfront. To his surprise, Spartica had held no argument over the seating arrangements, and had placed herself with the rest of her new charges in the back – although he had noticed that she had taken a window seat.

Rienna turned her hard stare at the butler, and with all the gracefulness she could muster with her rather broad hand, she waved his fretfulness away, and exclaimed that she did not realise that disaster was something you could make, and was it edible? And this was a limo, not a car, in any case.

Naugetii frowned at the young teenager, but instead of reprimanding her himself, looked into the rear view mirror to seek out his young mistress. He found two piercing green eyes watching the mirror already, and he questioned her silently, with a quiet pleading for guidance in his eyes. She said nothing, but let a little emotion shine through the bright green orbs, something that was rare for the sixteen year old, and flashed a look that clearly said; 'If that is what she wants, then let her learn the hard way.' Naugetii inwardly thought that, if dead, you could no longer learn _anything_, but, naturally, it was pointless arguing a case against someone who rarely spoke. Commands taken, he turned his concentration fully back to the road once more.

It was Rienna who broke the stillness the next time; silences made her uncomfortable, and she often sought places of common commotion to spend her time, although it has to be said, that most of the commotion had something to do with her in the first place. 'Naugetii?' she hailed him, a slight whine in her voice, as she elongated the 'ii' part of his name.

'Yes Miss Rienna?' The driver answered, tilting his head carefully in the direction her voice had come from – which happened to be the dashboard, because of the way she was sitting.

'Naugeii's not a Japanese name now is it'?'

'It is pronounced Naugetii, and yes you are right Miss Rienna, it is Russian.' Naugetii was not sure where the young missus was trying to get to with this subject; it seemed as if she had pulled it out of the air.

To his surprise it was another girl that piped in next, the conversation in the front, was obviously becoming a source of interest for the back seat riders. 'You know Mr Naugetii; I think it might be best if we could call you by a shorter name. You see, Rienna has trouble getting her dialect around foreign words without mimicking them, at the moment. I dare say she shall improve, but until then…well…it's only an idea…' Kim trailed off.

Naugetii allowed a small smile of amusement to play on his lips; he was always rather pleased at the politeness of Miss Kim, she had a way of speaking that made him feel respected, just like Spartica, perhaps she would turn out like Lady Haughton yet – then again, having a personality like Lady Haughton's was probably not everyone's first choice. 'Miss Kim, you may call me anything you like, within reason of course, and Naugetii is just fine, Mister is too much for me – makes me feel old.' He joked, earning himself an edge of a smile from the small girl, which encouraged his own large grin, baring well-polished, pure white teeth.

'I know!' exclaimed Fade, who had, earlier, been staring around and about her with wide innocent eyes and a smile plastered to her face, for the last two hours – it was as if she had been waiting for a conversation she could include her own words too. Although she did truly appear to have a good idea – 'How about Nougat?' Fade made the two mistakes of pronouncing the 'nou' and 'now', and adding the't' on the end, which should have been silent.

'Nougat?' Queried Rienna as she tried to put her mouth around the strange word.

'Yeah, you know…' She glanced around at everybody's frowning and confused faces. 'Like the sweet candy stuff. Rienna will remember that easily, because it's food.' She grinned widely at her own genius.

'Oh.' Kim realised with a groan. She placed one hand in front of her eyes, and rubbed her temples, as though Fade's optimistic attempts at conversation she did not seem to fully understand herself. 'She means Nougat.' Kim pronounced the word correctly for everyone else to hear.

Another silent message was sent from Spartica to Naugetii, via rear view mirror, which expressed that it was his choice to accept his chosen name, or not.

'Well?' Questioned Rienna, studying him from her dangerously balanced perch.

Naugetii used one of his eyes to look at her, while keeping the other on the road, and the ghost of a smile twitched back on to his lips as he answered; 'Nougat it is.'

Rienna nodded, then tested the new name, 'Alrigh' then…Nougat.'

The new silence that invaded Fade's mind stripped it clean of inward optimism and left a vacuum of nothingness. She felt so little to no emotion within her small radiating aura that she reached out her soul to grasp onto someone else's – the nearest person to her was Dove. The backseats were situated opposite each other, so that she faced Dove with little choice, not that she minded mind you; after getting over her first initial reaction at meeting her first neko, she had come to quite enjoy Dove's company – she rather hoped it was that same for the neko-jin, but she held crumbling hope, which rusted slowly as time passed, as Dove had said not one word this whole ride.

Dove Rikasha's feelings were an emotional tidal wave, of anxiety, insecurity and loneliness. She had heard that even within a crowd or, as the situation was, a crowded limo, you could feel completely and utterly alone. She was used to being ignored and secretly despised everywhere she went, and had learnt to block out the scowling faces of her people as she passed – she had no doubt, that as soon as these people learnt how she really was, that they would reject her immediately.

An inaudible sniff was picked up by her sharply attuned neko inherited ears, and shaking herself from her reverie of the inevitable, she looked up to find Fade's eyes watering and the rashes of red beginning to patch itself onto her skin. It was an obvious statement of sorrow, and without much warning, a silent tear coursed its way down to her chin, and dropped off into the hands clasped in her lap. Fade's bright aura of happiness had eroded into a well of distress, before the neko-jinn's eyes.

Spotting Dove's piercing amber gaze studying her closely, Fade turned away towards the window. Heat began to rise in her cheeks, and humiliation set in; Dove was not the first to see her break down so rapidly, for no apparent reason. Although to the blonde girl's surprise the neko did not query the whole episode, just sat there with an odd look on her face.

At least there was something else than that loneliness, which made Dove seem almost like that bird her name represent, except caged and frightened, and nothing to look forward to but a downward spiral. As her mother had taught her, Fade searched inside herself, for that tiny flame of happiness, which was always somehow constantly alight, inside even the most sombre of people. Then, as a car zoomed past the sleek limo, Fade got an idea.

'D. Dove.'

Everyone turned to give Fade yet another number of searching glances of confusion.

She sighed, shoulders drooping, before perking up again and explaining with wide grin and spread hands, 'It's a game, see. You look at the passing car's number plate, and you have to pick out a letter. Then, you say an animal, place, famous name, etcetera that begins with the letter. Like the number plate that was on the car that just went passed had a 'D', on it, so I said 'Dove', which is a name of an animal.' Her grinned only got larger as she watched everyone's faces take on the 'huh?' expression.

Rienna, who always had something to say, was the first to react; 'I dunno, soun's like a stoopid game ta me.' She then turned back to pulling faces at Nougat, which she had been doing for the past five minutes, finding this a most entertaining way to help the minutes go by; how Rienna was so easily pleased by doing such things, for so long, was unknown to Kim. Kim shook her head 'no' first, and realised that watching the scenery outside the window, was much more beneficial to her intelligence.

Only Dove actually considered the invitation to the game; apart from helping to scale down the boredom, which had accumulated over time, it might also be a way of communicating with someone other than her own inside mind and conscience.

Even though Dove's mind weighed heavily in favour of joining in, it still took her a full five minutes to answer – and by the time Fade had sunk back into silence, and was taken so much by surprise, that she actually jumped when she heard the neko's reply.

'C. Cat.'

After her initial shock was over, Fade smiled warmly at Dove, and both girls were nearly overcome with gratefulness. Dove, because her attempt at joining in had been accepted, and Fade because her humiliation at being rejected had nearly halved now.

Kim, understanding now that the game was going ahead, happened to catch the letter on a number plate on the other side of the seat. She thought quickly, and as she caught sight of the small monkey, gently cleaning himself, on the top of the seat, where Rienna's head _should _have been, knowing the right word was easy.

'M. Marmoset.' Offered Kim, thinking that announcing the name of an actual species of monkey, was much more clever than saying just 'monkey'; after all it would leave options open later on in the game, assuming the game actually went forward further.

Fade's mouth grew into a wide, crescent moon, as she bared her teeth in a grin, and Dove nodded thoughtfully in her direction. Rienna's face sported a pout; she was not used to being left out, especially where games were involved. Rienna Sassi was always the centre of attention, and everyone answered to her, and only her, being excluded from the game was not an option for her, and a crime not many would like to commit in her mind. It did not really cross her mind that it was her fault she was not playing in the first place, after openly expressing her opinion.

In reality, Rienna could not correctly play this game, even if she had wanted to from the beginning – she was illiterate. She could not read number plates, no matter how easily she could memorise the symbols; such skills were useless to her, unless she were able to process the information to make sense in her own mind. Although, to her credit, she was quick to remember that Kim had mentioned the letter, 'M', and even though Rienna did not actually know what the letter 'M' looked like, she did know that it was most likely a letter that started a word sounding like 'muh'. Rienna thought of a word she would know that started with the 'muh' sound.

'M. Muffin.' She smiled at the greatness of her mind, and licked her lips, as she conjured up the image of the food she favoured most, so far on this strange, almost unknown trip.

There was another deafening silence in the limo, as the other three girls playing the game considered this word; in their minds, the visual image of a muffin was acceptable, but their logical reasoning rejected it completely. None of the girls wanted to say anything to Rienna, but keeping silent about this obscene word in this topic, was an outrage to the game, and would most likely destroy it completely in the near future.

Kim was the first to speak up, and her left eye twitched as she did so. 'Uh…Rienna, I don't think a 'muffin' is actually classified as an animal.'

This statement was to start a riot, which included all occupants, apart from Spartica, and was to become the oddest argument that Nougat had ever experienced. Now you might say that as females, we naturally talk and squabble over the smaller points of life, but when you have been cooped up in a vehicle, even the great comfort of Spartica's limo, something is bound to make the weave of natural conversation bite its tail, and make a great turn.

Rienna stared at Kim for a full four second, before replying; 'Yar, but ya neva said anythin' bout animals – I though' i' migh' bey anythin' dat moved, so I figure' dat a 'muffin' 'classified'.' Rienna accent was cut off at the end, as she attempted to copy another of Kim's words, mimicking the voice.

'Yes, but muffins don't move anyway Rienna.' Pointed out Dove through forcefully clenched teeth, busily trying to stop herself from snorting in derision.

Rienna still fought for the losing battle, and the came across something in her memory that seemed reliable, and a good source of evidence. 'Ya say dat, but I ate a muffin da ova day, and it musta been angry at mey, coz it started up somethin' mean in me stomach. It was all wrigglin' and gurglin' and da like…'

'All right, I think we get the idea, Rienna.' Dove interrupted.

'You mean it was actually alive. You ate a live muffin? Didn't you feel sorry for it?' Fade asked of Rienna, her eyes round and watering, her lip wobbling as she visualised the cute puffy muffin, being brought slowly to Rienna's hungry and unmannered, never closed mouth.

Dove patted Fade's shoulder reassuringly, 'don't worry, she's not telling the truth – our Rienna is a compulsive liar. Otherwise, I hope you treated it with the respect it deserved; I've heard of cavemen eating their food with more civilised etiquette than you.'

'Etiquette.' Mouthed Rienna not understanding the word, and so not fully comprehending the insult, she then shook her head at the gullible nature of Fade, and the pathetic arguments of the neko-jinn. The sound of barely disguised laughter caught her attention, and she turned to look at the driving butler. 'Wat's so funny?' he didn't answer her, but instead closed his eyes, water trickling out from the crow lines of mirth surrounding them.

Kim decided that she should try and make some sort of peace between the group, and came up with a solution, what she did not remember to think of, was Rienna short extension of knowledge. 'I suppose as butter goes into muffins, then there must have been a cow somewhere in the works, but I don't think that 'muffin' is going to be accepted as a correct answer, for this game.'

Fade gasped, a mouth forming a small 'O' in horror, as a vegetarian, she was well aware of the situation she might be in now – she had been careful to steer well clear of the Hawaiian pizza for this reason. 'They put cows in muffins? Oh…but I…I…I've eaten loads of muffins.' She received a rather exasperated glance from Kim, and a slight look of confusion from Dove who, even though she had heard of muffins, had never actually encountered one before.

The inevitable question appeared next; 'Wat's a cow?' asked Rienna, frowning at everyone in annoyance, she made a mental note to make sure she was better informed about such topics in the future.

Dove raised her eyebrows; back in her village, she had spent much time with the cattle herd, more than her own people, in this way she had become much better acquainted with the gentle mammals, and her shoes with a scrubbing brush. 'I'm not even going to comment on that one, in fear of offending the poor things – no matter how tempting.'

Fade, being so excited at having understood exactly what someone had been talking about for once, lost all tact and jumped right into it. 'A cow looks like you Rienna!' she pointed her finger at the open-mouthed girl, who knew perfectly well that the blonde pipsqueak had just insulted her, and glared hard at the giggling face that had produced such grotesque words.

'Why ya lit'le…!'

'H. Home.'

Everyone turned to look at the dark haired girl, who had been staring out the window all this time – or perhaps she had been listening intently – such things were a mystery when looked upon, if Spartica was concerned. The limo went mute, as they took in the words that Spartica had spoken, and not one sound was uttered from a single person. Spartica had spoken.

As the limo turned up the drive and parked, they sat there in complete silence, not a person daring to move until a signal or a command was sounded. Naugetii wiped the remaining tears of mirth from his eyes, and then opened the door to walk around the side to the boot of the vehicle. By the time they had all piled out, Rienna was no closer to finding out what a cow was, and no one was closer to understanding the mystery that was Spartica Haughton.

The Bladebreakers' Apartment in Münich, Germany 

Kai could not believe in the absurdity of his situation – actually he could, he just did not want to. He had been kept isolated from the outside world in this apartment, twiddling his thumbs, for over two days now, and even watching Tyson play hide and go seek for the biscuits he had recently hidden was beginning to bore him. Originally, annoying Tyson had been his favourite pastime, but the current circumstances called for him to be around the immature teenager for longer than he would have liked, and now, his only plan for survival was to keep himself lent up against the wall and hope he was not spotted by the yet again crowned 'champion'.

The sixteen year old teen sneered inwardly at that thought, how was it that a thirteen year old could coming riding in on his blue dragon and take the last thing away that mattered to him – was it too much to ask to be champion again, on his own, like the old days, the only high seat in his life where even his grandfather could not seem to touch him…

The slapping of a magazine hitting the table brought him back from his reverie, and he realised that perhaps he had been thinking too much into it – after all the words to describe Tyson were annoyingly loud, not unbeatably strong. He opened his eyes, inner meditation disturbed, and turned his head slightly to the left, to watch Ray put his hands back behind his head, slouching against the back of one of the two sofas of the apartment. He noticed Kenny, or better known as the 'Chief', lean down towards the magazine that was bent roughly in half. Kai allowed himself to stalk up to the coffee table, resembling a caged panther, and looked down too at the article the magazine was displaying.

'Only a few days before the world championships, Helvemar pulled out yet another victory, spinning herself to the very top of the Girls' World Championship leadership table for the sixth year running…' Kenny read out, pushing his glasses up his nose, so that he was able to read the tiny writing the publishers were determined to put on everything that was white, made of dead tree and shiny. 'Helvemar, also known as the 'Queen of Blading', has recently announced that she will be bringing together her very own team with four girls from different corners of the world – although her own nationality is still unknown, she has reassured us that she is quite adept at several languages, and hopes that her team will have be strong enough to enter the _real _World Championships by next year. As quite an unpredictable and excellent beyblader, who has managed to excel in all areas of the sport, it would be good advice for any team, champion or not, to be prepared.' Kenny finished the small article, and sighed as he handed the magazine over to Tyson who was peering at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. Although he wished otherwise, he also took in the half eaten, newly found, biscuit that was half munched in his open mouth.

As the magazine passed Kai's eyes, they glanced over a small picture that had been chosen to accompany the short piece of text. Within the photograph, a girl stood to one side of the beydish, eyes securely trained to a spot on the inside of it, a beyblade tucked into her launcher, ready to be spun out. He noticed the way she stood expertly, with completely relaxed muscles, but with all the wariness of cat with a twitching tail. As a male teenager with raging hormones, he also did not fail to notice that she was rather pretty – whether or not the picture did her justice was just something that would have to wait another day, however.

Tyson stuffed yet another biscuit into his mouth, as he reread the article himself, glaring whole-heartedly – Anything that was about beyblade, and did not even mention his name was blasphemy to his eyes. All right, he was not that bad with it, but someone else with a status so near his own put him slightly on edge. The again, she was just a girl…

'I think this is going to be so cool.' Chirped Max, from behind the other sofa that Hilary was curled up on. 'The Bladebreakers back together, to face yet another tough challenge of what is now going to be a world class, girl team. This is going to be awesome!' He punched the air with his right hand to provide emphasis to his statement.

'Pfft. You actually think going up against a few petty girls is going to be a challenge?' Tyson asked not quite believing his ears.

'If they win the world championship, yet another barrier will be broken in a male dominated area; right on sisters!' Hilary exclaimed happily clapping her hands, forgetting momentarily what side she was on, overcome with the urge to support her own sex.

'What's wrong with you guys? They're not gonna win anything, we're the champs remember, and with me on our team, those girls will be toast, and I think we could slice them up with a knife, a very blunt knife too.' Tyson scratched his head in thoughtfulness as he went through what he had just said in his mind.

Kai piped up for the first time that evening. 'I wouldn't underestimate them Tyson, they might pack more of a punch then you might think.'

Tyson opened his mouth to counter his team leader.

Kenny got there first: 'I agree with Kai.'

The thirteen-year-old biscuit-muncher was left spluttering crumbs onto the carpet. His best friends were siding with the sourpuss now? Whatever next?

Kenny carried on, 'and if this Helvemar,' he said absently typing furiously on his laptop, Dizzi, 'is as good as the 'Beyblade Monthly' claims, then I have no doubt that any team members she picks will be filled with the same type of expertise as well.'

Kai could not have agreed more.

**Spartica Haughton's (or rather Ponti Haughton's) Mansion in Bali**

The small band of girls sat around the morning table, in the large kitchen, in complete and utter silence; not from respect, more out of shock, their mouths hung open and their eyes bulged; they were so still that they seemed as if they were just models made from wax and, as always, it was Rienna who broke the mould: 'Ya kiddin' righ', I've neva eve' tooched a Beybla' in me life.'

Sighing, Spartica lifted her eyes skyward as she closed them. Digging into her pocket she felt for the familiar touch of cool metal and plastic, fingering the inner bitbeast, she tugged her eyes open and with them pierced Rienna's own as she spoke. 'I do not 'kid', not with anyone I hardly know. This was not originally my own idea, but as you are probably aware, there is no one else around willing to look after you, properly anyway. I can sort out your first problem immediately.' She added the last part, swinging up her arm from her pocket, and swiftly tossing an object towards Rienna, who in turn caught it with natural ease caused by an instinctive reaction – her eyes goggled at the beyblade that was nestled firmly in her palm.

Kim and Fade sat quietly, still trying to process the information they had been given and waiting to see how the conversation and evening would progress. Dove decided to voice her concern. 'Let me get this straight, you pick us off the streets, literally, take us home with you, and then, as if it is the most natural thing in the world, you claim that we hold 'three of the oldest bitbeasts known to mankind' and not only that, but you suddenly have a very bright idea to make a team out of us. I'm sorry, but you may have noticed that we are a girl who cannot even hold a can of coke without dropping it, a girl who can't even pronounce beyblade properly, a girl who believes that she can fly because the fairies will give her wings one day, and last, but not least _Spartica Haughton_ a girl with a monkey on her shoulder, which did I forget to mention, is afraid of heights!' By this time, Dove's fury flared in her fiery amber eyes as her hands clenched onto the tablecloth, her anger fully directed at Spartica.

Spartica just tilted her head to the side, eyes trained on Dove's own. 'You may leave whenever you wish, the door is always open, never locked.' This statement clearly ended the conversation – no questions asked.

Kim, having gotten over her first initial shock, put up her hand uncertainly, and waved a bit at Spartica to get her attention. 'Er…question.' Spartica turned her head in the auburn-haired girl's direction, nodding at her to continue. 'Um, I know I don't hold one of these bitbeasts, because Luigi is relatively young as I well know, so where do I come into all of this.'

Spartica gave a rather rare smile to the girl, glad that she had encouraged them enough, that they all felt comfortable asking her questions, of what she might have in store for them. 'I do realise that you might not really be the type to take blading up for a sport, but your intelligence is greater than most people realise, you are good with computer and are a quick learner, the position for data collector is yours to fill.'

Kim smiled, nodding thoughtfully. Finally, a good use for her brainpower, and all in all it could be fun to do, perhaps through this she would make some new friends. She glanced over to Fade who was also smiling and nodding enthusiastically at her; yes, making friends here for the first time in her life, proper friends, was going to be an obtainable goal. Fade piped up in an exited voice, now determined to have something to say in the conversation. 'Yes, I heard daddy say once in a meeting, that all successful battles have a strategist behind the lines.'

Kim blinked, did Fade just say something intelligent and not about frogs turning into princes?

Spartica turned back to look at Dove; the only one who was yet to be even slightly happy with the new situation. 'And you, Miss Rikasha?'

Dove's growl could have matched a lion as she stood up, pushing her chair away, only managing to stumble over it backwards, tablecloth still clenched in her hands. As the tablecloth was yanked off the table, all objects flew with it, the vase of flowers landing neatly on her head, shattering, and drenching her hair with rose scented water. Climbing hastily to her feet, Dove's eyes flashed with more than just anger, but complete and utter humiliation – she had done it again! 'Well, quite frankly, I think this is the most stupidest idea in the world. You said yourself that you hardly know us, and so in that I don't see any reason why we should trust _you_. All this talk of divine spirits or bitbeasts or whatever, its all a load of codswallop, and I think you guys should be ashamed of yourselves for falling for it in the first place!' She breathed heavily as she glared at all the residence of the table.

Spartica gazed at her calmly, emotionless. 'Are you quite done. There is a door there,' she pointed to the oak door, by the utility area, with the wave of her right hand, 'as I have already mentioned, if you are not happy with this arrangement, you may walk out of it.'

Dove stood up, wrapped her temporary coat more tightly around her, and stalked out, not looking over her shoulder once.

Fade's eyes grew sad, as she watched yet another person walk out of her life, Kim pursed her lips in and swung her eyes left and right in an impatient and patronising manner, while Rienna's returned to her inspection of Spartica's beyblade. Spartica clasped her hands in front of her, on the table, and studied her three girls that remained.

Surprisingly it was Spartica who spoke to break the new uneasiness now, her voice settling over them like a soothing melody. 'The first thing I wish to do is to help Rienna talk properly as well as give her literacy skills. I tell you what; Rienna every time you say a word in your own voice correctly, you can hold my beyblade for another minute. Fade, Kim, you can help me in this.'

Both girls nodded, eager to help in this task – something that sounded like fun, although it would take up a good amount of time, but it was just one way to break the ice a little more.

'We shall start now.' Spartica dipped her head towards Rienna, who looked up in expectation for her first word. 'All right Rienna, in your own time and in your own _voice_, say 'Muffin'.'

Rienna's face split into a grin, now this was what she called a game, she absently hoped in the back of her mind that chocolate accompanied beyblade holding. And damn, this whole experience was going to be fun!

Fade and Kim could not have agreed more.


End file.
